August

The Word
Wincanton Community Magazine
August 2020

Welcome to August
This Month’s Cover
A little life back once again on
The High Street. Pic: Robin Price
August is here, despite many safety restrictions
still in place Wincanton is finding innovative
ways to enjoy the summer holidays
despite Coronavirus challenging our way of
life.
This month’s magazine brings stories from all
corners of our town.
The interview with the wonderful Maddie
Bowler underlines the importance of VJ Commemorations
on 15th August and how we
wish to show our gratitude to all those who
served us so bravely during that campaign.
However you choose to spend the 15th August,
please take a moment to think of them
all and what they endured 75 years ago. I
often look at my own Sons and Grandsons,
who all live here in Wincanton, and am
overwhelmed with gratitude to those who
lost their lives and fought to give them the
freedoms they enjoy today.
Our local Sports Ground is offering the opportunity
to display some Poppies for us all
to visit safely to pay our respects and say
Thank you.
My gratitude to the Sports Ground extends
not just to their generous offer to support VJ
Day but also to their whole team of volunteers
who have kept the fantastic green
space open to all residents since March.
The many acres of wildlife habitat, mown
pathways, parking, waste disposal and
beautiful benches have provided an essential
outdoor space for all forms of exercise.
Allotment holders from dawn to dusk can access
their plots, dog walkers, whole families
playing sports, orienteering, hide and seek
and much more. All so very good for physical
health and mental well- being. I met with
some of their team who explained that the
number of users has at least trebled!
We must show our support to all community
groups now suffering huge financial challenges
as fund raising events have been
cancelled. The Sports Grounds, CAT Bus,
Wincanton Community Hospital, Library
Friends and many, many others are struggling
to make ends meet.
A huge thank you to the team of Staff and
Town Councillors involved in the provision
and maintenance of Cale Park and The Rec,
this beautiful park is improving year on year
and is a joy to visit for all ages.
Whatever the next year brings we will need
our beautiful outdoor areas more than ever.
Keep Safe
Liz Carter
Editor
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.
The Word
The Cottage,
Nursery Lane, Church Street,
Wincanton BA9 9AA
Email:thewordwincanton@gmail.com
Facebook:thewordwincanton
Instagram:@wordwincanton
Twitter:@thewordwincan1

V.J. DAY MEMORY
Maddie Bowler recalls a turning point in her life and explains why
V.J. Day is so important to her, and many others, who were still far
from home in a tale where ‘Tenco’ meets ‘Chariots of Frire’.
It was a privilege to meet with Maddie
Bowler, a long time Wincanton resident
who has a poignant reason to celebrate
V.J. Day. To pry into her past and relay her
extraordinary story, she jokingly says it’s
‘nosiness’, I say fascination; an obligation
to deign to imagine what it must have been
like and, to never forget how fortunate we
have all been since neve to have suffered
conflict on such a scale as the two world
wars.
Maddie was born in Shanghai, and her
early years were spent in Tianjin where her
father was with the Fire Brigade. Sadly her
mother died when she was just two years
old and she was brought up as a ward of a
Mrs Wilson. Maddie, said: “Mrs Wilson had
a son Jo the same age as me, I thought of
him as my brother.”
Her story starts when the three of them
were heading to school one morning.
Ahead they could see the Japanese had
taken over the town and surrounded the
school. They were all sent back, told to
pack a suitcase and head straight for the
station. The train they boarded took them
to Weihsien internment camp where Mrs
Wilson, Jo and herself would spend the
next two and a half years as prisoners
under close Japanese guard.
Summers were unbearably hot and winters
bitterly cold. They lived, four to six people,
in 9x12 foot rooms where they ate and
slept, almost on top of one another. Maddie
said: “We had a fire but no chimney,
they didn’t give us coal either, we had to
gather the scraps the guards left behind
and anything else we could find to burn.”
Day to day life was regimented: morning
roll call, where they had to bow Japanese
style, was followed by a visit to the
washroom after which they collected their
breakfast. Maddie, said: “Generally there
was a lack of food, the worst thing we had
to eat though was mashed up eggshells
for the vitamins, we never got an actual
egg. I’ll never forget immediately after our
release in the hotel I was offered an egg, I
asked Mrs Wilson if I could have a whole
egg, she said have two if you want, I just
couldn’t believe it!”
Maddie recalls life in the camp wasn’t
too bad for the children, they had basic
schooling and some games, but she’s
not so sure it was quite the same for the
adults. “Mrs Wilson told me she was
working in the sewing room, but I checked
the register and she definitely wasn’t on
it, so I’m not sure where she and some of
the other adults were
working. I fear it wasn’t
that pleasant for them.”
she continued: “The
Japanese liked children,
so we were treated fairly
but that didn’t stop us
mocking the camp Commander.
He was short,
stocky and waddled a
bit so we nicknamed him
‘King Kong’. We used to
follow him mimicking his
walk, if he turned round
we had to run very, very fast.”
Running fast came naturally to one of the
camp’s prisoners, Eric Liddell, immortalised
in the film ‘Chariots of Fire’, who
would later bring about an important turning
point in Maddie’s life while watching
the TV one evening.
After her release she returned to Tianjin
with Mrs Wilson and Jo, only to get a
message from her father, who they had
believed lost when his ship had been
torpedoed. He was in Singapore with a
new wife and a son and she was to join
them there. “I suddenly had a stepmother
and a brother, not only that he told me to
forget Mrs Wilson and the camp. It was
all a dream he insisted.” Looking distinctly
uneasy, Maddie continued: “All through my
schooling in England and well into adulthood
I believed it had all been a dream. It
Above:
Maddie at home this week
Left:
Bowing at the morning
rollcall in Weihsien camp.
Right:
A family outside their modest
quarters at the camp.
Below:
Leaving Tianjin with what
you could carry to the
station.
wasn’t until my early forties while my husband
and I were watching a documentary
on Eric Liddell when they talked about the
Weihsien camp and his time there. I turned
to my husband and exclaimed - it wasn’t a
dream.”
She remembers Liddell fondly: “We used
to call him Uncle Eric.” she says with a
smile, “he was brilliant with us, he taught
in the school and ran some games. I immediately
began researching his and my
time there, the dream became a reality.
I’ve since been to a camp reunion and
celebrating V.J. Day is so important to me
and everyone else whose war ended on
the 15th August, 1945.”
Maddie visibly trembles as she shows
me through the extensive photo album
she’s collated showing haunting pictures
documenting the evacuation of Tianjin and
the Weihsien camp. It was quite humbling
to hear and see such a story, and a stark
awakening to why V.J. Day is so important,
75 years later.

Up, Down & Around
the High Street
I spent Saturday morning wandering up and
back down the High Street, it was a lovely
morning and I’d spent a little too long in the
garden with an extra cup of coffee. I had
been hoping to hear the musicians who normally
play on a Market Day, they would have
acted like Sirens
lureing me out of
my chair a little
earlier.
The result of my delay
was that I was
a little late to the
party and missed
what I was assured
had been a fairly
large gathering in
the
Market Square, but it was still pleasantly
busy.
The reason for my amble with multiple stopovers,
was to assess how the High Street traders
were fairing now most of their shop doors
are open again. I called on five of the shops,
hopefully a good cross section of our businesses
and found both a lamentation and a
hopefulness.
First stop was Jerry’s Electrical where they
had kept going through the early lockdown
by being online more. With notices in the window
to guide customers they were pleasantly
surprised at how much they’d managed to
sell. This would become a recurring theme,
while many of us were snoozing, boozing
and zooming, the traders were up
with the lark and making the best of
what had very suddenly become a
terrible situation for footfall based
businesses.
A little further on up in the newish
florists, Gemma Silvester recalled
a very similar story. She said: “I
kept going in the early stages by
being online and had notices in
the window, in fact I was very busy
considering the restrictions. Since
we’ve opened up again things
have actually been pretty good
too, I’m quite hopeful but miss the
hands on interaction with customers.”
It was an on-going message,
‘relaxed interaction’. It’s an
important part of, and one of
the more enjoyable aspects to
running a shop. Jackie at No
43, the Vintage shop as far as
I went that morning was more
philosophical, she said: “When
we re-opened the first week was terribly
busy, I think people had spotted things in the
window and a lot were just keen to get out
and do some shopping again, let’s be honest,
nothing we sell here is essential. The weeks
since have been up and down, but steady in
a similar way to pre-closure. However, it’ll be
what it’ll be!”
Very true, none of us can predict the future
but, on the way back down the hill Anna Cuff
at Preview was taking steps to be a little
pro-active with her customers. Anna, said:
“I’ve been here twenty years now and have
a very loyal customer base, some are happy
to come in and browse and if anyone tries
anything on I quarantine it, so we’re as
safe as is possible. There are though
some older ladies and they are a little
nervous about coming out so, I’m planning
to open an hour earlier and close
an hour later, with those times booked
out to them. It might make them feel a
little more comfortable.”
My last stop before returning home
was Lovington’s Bakery. Taking over as
managers just days before ‘lockdown’
Nell and Paul had jumped right in at
the deep end. Barely knowing the staff
before they were all furloughed, they
were allowed to stay open as an essential
business. Still feeling
their way around
trade was
brisk, Nell, said: “It was manic, great, but so
busy - people were walking up and collecting
bread orders for themselves and neighbours
in insolation and we had deliveries to get out
too. Since those early days it’s carried on,
we have been very lucky and at the moment I
can’t see it slowing down.”
Again, another positive. Overall it felt OK!
The shops were ‘busy enough’. We need to
keep supporting them all though and it has to
be a safer place than a large city store - it’s
our High Street and my goodness we’d miss
it if we’re just that little bit too cautious to
keep it alive.
Station Road, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7BX
Promoting a healthy lifestyle naturally
www.healandsole.co.uk Tel: 01963 350639
Reflexology
Reiki, EFT Tapping
Indian Head Massage
The Royal Voluntary Service is currently looking to recruit volunteers for a variety of roles within the
Home Library Service in Wincanton and the surrounding parishes.
The Home library service exists to ensure people who cannot get to the library due to poor health or mobility
or caring responsibilities but still enjoy reading can receive library books free of charge by a Royal
Voluntary Service vvolunteer who will choose, deliver and befriend an individual in their own home.
If you would like to know more about volunteering for the Home Library Service please contact kirsty.jenssen@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
or tel: 07920 250834.

News from:
Wincanton Primary School
(Beans, castles and getting ready)
At Wincanton Primary School, we have been
continuing to support all our children and
their families throughout the summer term. As
this extraordinary time draws to a close, we
are preparing to open our doors to children
in our holiday club as well, to provide care
for working families. Places are available by
calling the school on 01963 32132 or on the
Holiday Club phone number 07598 982883.
Our class pages on our website have reflected
the huge amount of work our children
have been completing at home. Recently we
have planned units of work to encompass
space and the planets, discovering castles
and carried out investigations with plants as
part of a unit on growth. Children planted
beans in tissue paper to see how quickly they
grew and watched carnations change colour
when placed in food colouring.
Teachers kept in close contact
with children and families
through zoom meetings and
phone calls to ensure those
who were unable to attend
school still felt valued as part of
our school community. Children
progressing to new classes in
September enjoyed zoom meetings
with their new classes and
were set art work to complete
and show each other as part of
their transition. We hope to display
this in the classrooms for
all to see. Children and families
new to our school in September
were invited in to take part in
socially distanced ‘Play to Learn’ sessions.
These were play sessions where they met
their new teachers and some classmates
who engaged in activities, as well as joining
two zoom story sessions on-line.
Staff have been very busy ensuring the
school is cleaned to a high standard as well
as getting classrooms ready for the children’s
return in September. Rooms may still look
quite different to normal, as government
guidelines dictate that, for most children, they
should sit in forward facing rows but we are
making sure displays are bright, cheerful and
welcoming, showcasing the work we have
been completing both in and out of school
during this time.
In September, we will begin with our focus
on health and well-being, prioritising the
children’s mental health as they embark on
a school term, which for many will be after
a very long period of absence from school
and their classmates. We are working on a
timetable to ensure children enter and leave
the school site safely and with as little disruption
to their day as possible. Our curriculum,
which was praised in our recent Ofsted
inspection, will continue to be broad and rich
with many varied and interesting learning experiences,
hooks and outcomes for children
to enjoy.
We would like to extend our thanks to Morrisons
for continuing to support the school with
food supplements throughout the lockdown
period, many families have benefitted from
their kindness.
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 from everyone at
Wincanton Primary School.

C.A.T.C.H.
remove an invasive plant
‘Like so many other
groups and organisations
that carry out voluntary
work C.A.T.C.H. have had
to adapt to the challenges
of Covid 19, volunteer
hours and tasks completed
may be well down
on previous years but the
group have continued to
work towards achieving
their goals.
Regular face to face meetings
had to be suspended
but with the help of Zoom
we have continued to
hold meetings and this is
helped to ensure we keep
moving forward.
Slowly, as restrictions
were lifted, we were able to carry out kick sampling at
one of our test sites in the town. It was possible to do
this as the testing could be safely carried out by just two
members of the team observing social distancing, the
second site requires more bodies so has been temporarily
suspended although an additional site is currently being
investigated further down stream.
On Sunday 27th July the group were able to complete another
kick sample and a ‘Balsam Bash’, (the removal of an
invasive plant), upstream of the weir at the bottom of North
Street. At the time of writing the group have also planned
to install a second information board in the Recreation
Ground. If you’d like to know more about the group or get
involved take a look at the groups website:
www.rivercale.org
Top: The team at work in the river.
Above: The invasive Himalayan Balsam
plant.

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• All our greeting cards are painted, typeset,
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All the pupils and families
have been amazing since
Lockdown. We have had our
keyworker children attending school since
March and on 1st June our reception,
year 1 and year 6 children returned to
school. More recently we have welcomed
our year 2, 3, 4 and 5 pupils to attend
school for 4 days before the end of the
term. Although they were a little nervous
when they arrived at school (after
3 months) they were soon chatting and
learning together in their class bubbles.
For those children who have been at
home, they have collected their home
learning packs on a fortnightly basis,
as well as returning their
completed home learning for
marking. We have had some
wonderful home learning tasks
completed too. Please enjoy
looking at the photographs.
There are more on our website
too. All the home learning has
been linked to each class topic
to ensure that the children
haven’t missed out on our
curriculum coverage. A huge
thank you to our parents for
their tutoring skills.
Those children who have had
birthdays since March have also received
a birthday card (from everyone at school)
in the post.
Although our classrooms are quite different
with tables set apart and fewer
resources available, the children have enjoyed
their own pack of stationery items in
a zippy bag including number resources
Our Lady’s School
News from lockdown
for maths.
We are also very lucky with our wonderful
school grounds. Each class has an allocated
gazebo and tables and chairs for
outdoor learning and somewhere to enjoy
eating their lunch too.
Our regular newsletters and updates on
the website have kept our families up to
date with the many changes we have had
to make according to Government Guidelines
and all the staff are very appreciative
of our supportive parents.
Our PTFA have been busy preparing
a school recipe book with children and
parents contributing
their favourite
recipes. We will
let you know
when the book is
complete!
Finally, our year 6
pupils have been
truly amazing.
They have had
to forgo their residential trip, end of year
performance, CAKE week (SATS!) and
many more events, but despite this have
come into school smiling and embraced
their learning for the last weeks at school.
We will miss them and wish them lots of
luck for September.
Please do look on our website and enjoy
the year 6 leavers powerpoint.
Finally all the staff wish the children and
their families a happy and safe summer
holiday.

SHOW HOME
NOW OPEN
Open Daily 10am-5pm
BERRYS are back!
…....and I don’t mean the seasonal; succulent, juicy fruits.
CALES REACH WINCANTON
2, 3, & 4 bedroom homes built by
award winning Cavanna Homes.
For more information call 01963 458011
or email calesreach@cavannahomes.co.uk.
Off Dykes Way, Wincanton BA9 9FQ.
www.cavannahomes.co.uk
It’s our wonderful coach service which travels
to London twice daily from the Memorial Hall
Car Park which starts again in August. If like
me, you hate driving to London and find the
parking at local railway stations daunting;
then this is a super alternative. The fares are
reasonable and the service is great!
I didn’t want to move to Somerset! ‘C’ my
other half always loved the place and in one
of my weak moments l-o-n-g ago, I agreed
that one day we would retire to the country
town of Wincanton. When you are twenty
seven years old, ‘retirement’ is something
grandparents do.
We moved here in 2002 and I
almost needed to be sedated. I felt as though
life as I knew it had taken a terrible turn for
the worse and I wanted to go home. Within
days I discovered the attraction ‘C’ had for
the place. Our neighbours were delightful,
the atmosphere in the town was lively and
friendly and the facilities, great!
At that time I had to travel to London twice
a month and while chatting to my neighbour
she told me about a coach service from Wincanton
to Hammersmith. Upon telephoning
Vale Coaches; the receptionist pointed out
that I had called the wrong coach company,
however, as her sister worked for Berry’s
Coaches she kindly said she would call her
on my behalf. Within minutes Berry’s contacted
me and asked how could they help? I
was flabbergasted! ‘What a wonderful place
to live!’
One Saturday morning I boarded the 08.35
coach from the car park. The vehicle was
full to capacity. I heard a very distraught lady
talking to the hostess. She said she was
attending a wedding in Hammersmith at 2pm
and in error she had booked the later coach.
The driver made an announcement asking if
any passengers would consider exchanging
tickets for the later bus. Silence prevailed!
The immaculately dressed woman was in
floods of tears. A twinge of guilt overcame
me. I didn’t have to be in London until the
afternoon so I gave her my seat and took
the 11.15. When I came to pay for my
ticket the host refused payment and
thanked me for any inconvenience.
In early March 2018 there was a
severe weather warning. ‘Storm
Emma’ was imminent! I decided to
return to Wincanton on the 3.15
from London. It was a fast journey
until we reached the A303 ( Nothing
new!) and the blizzard was well
under way. We managed to crawl
through the night until we reached
the high ground outside Mere where
we remained bogged in snow and
ice.
We were buffeted from all sides by
several vehicles believing they could overtake
us in the treacherous conditions. The
competence of our coach driver was amazing
as was the patience of the host, of whom
had missed out on his Golden Wedding
Anniversary celebrations which was to have
taken place that perilous night. Arriving home
19 hrs later, the familiar announcement was
made. ‘’We have now reached Wincanton.
Please check that you have all your belongings
with you and thank you for using Berry’s
Superfast Service. We apologise for any
delay.’’
Sharne Compton

August in
the Garden
Episode 8
of our new
monthly
gardening
feature
Do the weeks in lock down whiz by or is it
just me that feels this way?
Catalogues for bulbs and winter pansies etc
are dropping on the mat, so I guess it’s time
to have a good read and place an order.
The birds have finished nesting so hedge
clipping is on the to do list. The whole garden
looks so much tidier, whether it’s sharp sides
or voluptuous rounded tops and sides that
please you.
Some of the
clippings can
be used for
cuttings, trim to
a node this is
where the leaves
join the stem,
strip the leaves,
leaving four or
six at the top,
place round the
edge of a 9 cm
pot of fairly gritty
compost, water
well and keep
in a shady spot
keep an eye
on the watering
and they should
root in 6 weeks
or so. Pot on
into individual pots when well rooted. This
method works well with Yew, Lonicera Nitida
and Box. This is works for most soft wood
shrubs.
The vegetable garden is looking scrumptious,
runner beans are almost ready, Swiss
chard, potatoes and carrots, don’t forget to
keep picking courgettes or you’ll end up with
airships. If you have room another sowing of
carrots will take off well as the soil is nice and
warm. So will lettuce and other leaves.
Keep picking cucumbers, tomatoes and
peppers both chilli and sweet as they ripen.
Keep them all well watered. Feeding with
tomorite or liquid seaweed once a week will
extend the crop.
My aubergines are a bit slow, hope they buck
up soon.
Dead head roses and feed with rose food if
you haven’t already done so. The air is so
clear in this area that black spot can be a
problem, pick the leaves off burn or bin them
this will help keep infection limited. I’m not
keen on spraying but these are available at
garden centres.
Don’t forget to snip off any sweet peas that
have gone to seed and pick the flowers regularly.
Dahlias are giving a good display too
and last for ages in a vase. If you want bigger
specimen flowers nip off some buds so that
only one remains per stem.
If your strawberries have finished fruiting they
may be sending out runners. Fill some small
pots with compost and plant the youngsters,
do not sever from the parent until roots are
well established. These can be used to increase
stock or to replace older plants.
Happy Gardening!
The Garden Fanatic

TOWN
COUNCILLOR
QUESTIONS :
How long have you been a Councillor?
I was coopted four and a half years ago, I enjoyed
myself so much that I stood for election
last year and I’m now an elected member.
What made you decide to join the Council?
I’ve lived in Wincanton for 28 years, when I
came here it just felt like home and the place
I wanted to raise my children. After getting
in debates on local social media groups,
supporting the town and the council, it was
suggested to me to apply for cooption as 2
places became empty and I thought, yes I
want to put something back into the town.
Are you involved with any projects or
organisations in the Town?
Unfortunately, due to personal illness, family
commitments and now a global pandemic,
I’ve had to scale back projects outside the
home. I’m currently council liaison to schools
and do sit on other committees which
currently can’t meet but, I’m sure that will
change in the coming weeks. More recently
Kirsten Hearne
myself and other Wincanton residents have
been planning a family day with a “Pegasus
revisited” night at the sports ground as a
celebration of lockdown exit, when we exit.
More details will follow when we can confirm
a date. Also, I’m a great believer in supporting
my local pubs.
What five things would you like to see in
the Town going forward?
I would like to see more events for the whole
community, for example the screenings at
Cale Park.
I would like to see local businesses that have
supported us through lockdown, be supported
by us after lockdown.
I would like to see the empty shops in the
high street tidied up and occupied.
I would like to see more clubs and activities
to involve the youngsters in town
And finally I would like to see a larger market
and to have Wincanton back on the map as a
market town.
News from
Wincanton
Town Council
Wincanton town centre set for historic building assessment
As part of the District Council’s Wincanton Town
Centre Regeneration project, consultants have
been asked to undertake conservation and historic
building assessments in the town centre.
As part of that work, consultants will shortly be
photographing historic buildings in the town
centre, so we wanted to make you aware that you
might see someone with a camera taking photos of
buildings over the coming weeks.
This work is part of the wider Wincanton Town
Centre Regeneration project which aims to create
an attractive environment where people wish to
live, work and visit all helping to improve town
centre vitality. The historic building assessment
will be used to help to engage land/property
owners and encourage site owners to bring about
re-use and consider meanwhile uses which could
help to boost footfall, sitting alongside the aim
St Peter & St Paul’s Church
Wincanton
of improving the historic buildings in the town
centre.
Councillor Henry Hobhouse, portfolio holder
for Wincanton Town Centre Regeneration, said:
“There are lots of benefits that undertaking the
assessments will bring, it will help us to prioritise
properties that need the greatest level of intervention,
but ultimately it gives us an excellent overview
of what there is in terms of historic buildings
in the town and also how they can potentially play
a part moving forward and regenerating the town
centre.”
Assessment of buildings are likely to commence
the week of 20th July.
If you have any queries about the work, please
contact Pam Williams, Wincanton Town Centre
Regeneration Manager on 01963-435020.
We been making progress on the risk assessments for re-opening our church for public worship,
working to comply with all the guidance from our Government and the Church of England.
In August, we are hoping to open the church each Sunday, to welcome you either for a short
public service of worship, or for a period of private prayer and reflection.
The latest up to date information and the timetable for services will be displayed at the church,
and posted on our website: www.wincantonparishchurch.co.uk
The website will be updated regularly with information on when the church will be open.
I look forward to welcoming you back into church very soon.
Rev Alison Way

City Accredited
Guilds Programme
CPD
CERTIFIED
The cro Certification
Service
THM Training your local Wincanton based Training Provider
THE GREAT BIG THING that’s happening in the libraries this Summer is:
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Website and Online Purchases: www.thmtraining.co.uk
Special Word discount 20% off all courses in August use discount code word20 at checkout
Call: Torn Hall-Martell on 07585 244677
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This is just like last year (and the year
before that, and the year before that and
probably next year too!). BUT this year
is new because Wincanton Library (like
many others) is still closed because of
the Covid-19 Virus. This year’s game is
different because:
It’s even sillier than usual. ☺ It’s led by
the Silly Squad who get up to a lot
of very silly things.
Some of them are
here:
You can’t go into
the library to take
part because it’s
closed. :( And
even when it
opens it won’t
be the quite
the same for
a while.
BUT
You can
go online
to https://
summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/join-in
and you can register with your
name and a special password (grownups
might offer some useful help here)
and then tick off as you read lots of books
– at least 6 – and earn a badge online for
each book you read. When the library is
open again there will be small prizes so
please keep a record of everything you
read and come and show it to us.
ALL the different kinds of books you read
count, so you can read ebooks, listen to
audio books, someone can read a book
to you or you can just read as usual -
stories or picture books or information
books. It’s all fine! You can find lots of
ideas on the Summer Reading Challenge
website or you can go onto Somerset
Libraries Facebook pages and find people
reading stories and people showing
you how to make things out of toilet rolls,
draw pictures and all sorts of things like
that). GO FOR IT!
There are things on the Somerset Libraries
pages for adults too of course - www.
facebook.com/SomersetLibraries/ .
There’s an online book club as well as
suggestions for thought provoking reads.
In addition there are over 50 magazines
to choose from – all free with your
library card. (You can join
online and get a virtual card
at www.librarieswest.org.uk
– scroll down and click on the
picture of the library cards).
In Wincanton, the poetry group
is exchanging poems on email
and if you haven’t got email we
can deliver them! Just send an
email (or get a friend to send one)
to poetrygroup20@gmail.com
giving your email or postal address
and we will send or bring you
poems. There is a different theme
each month and the theme for July is
‘Liberation’ (or ‘Escape’). If you want
to find a poem and send it in (using the
same poetry group email address) it will
be circulated around the group. Half
the fun is searching through your poetry
books or through the poetry pages on
the web looking for suitable poems. You
find all sorts of things you’ve forgotten or
never come across before.
So if you’re bored with lockdown, if you
getting fed up with the news and not being
able to get you hair cut or go to the
cinema or have no idea what to do next
then:
VISIT THE LIBRARY VIRTUALLY NOW!
And it won’t be long before you can do it
for real:

THE SOLITARY
COOK
A little extract from the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll. It’s well worth
reading the whole thing. Just Google it! But I’m just thinking of bread today and some things I
do with it. I often have some leftover beard and, if it’s the bog standard stuff, I just make breadcrumbs
with it and freeze them.
treatment, such as:
PANAZANELLA
(Tuscan tomato and bread salad)
Stale bread (you need a good loaf with texture, definitely not sliced bread!)
You will need about 6 nice big tomatoes or more.
A small cucumber, or half a big one.
1 small red onion
2 very finely chopped cloves of garlic
Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil
Fresh Basil
“A loaf of bread, the Walrus said,
Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed...”
If it’s a really nice sourdough or ciabatta it deserves different
Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds. Cut into small chunks (not dice).
Put these in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Slice the red onion very thinly and
scatter over the cucumber with plenty of pepper. Now add a couple of tablespoons of red
wine vinegar and toss together. Set aside while you prepare the tomatoes. I like to take the
skins off by popping them into boiling water for a few seconds, them refreshing them in cold
water and the skins should peel off easily.
Cut them into slightly larger pieces than the cucumber.
Add these to the bowl with the finely chopped garlic.
Add a little more salt and mix everything gently together.
Now add about 6 or 7 tablespoons of fruity olive oil
and leave to macerate for about 30 minutes. This will
produce quite a lot of liquid and the onion will loose it’s
nasty raw taste and be much improved. You can tell
that I loathe the fashion for throwing raw red onions into
every green salad!
Meantime, deal with the bread. It should be broken up
into chunks of random size. You’ll need about 4 or 5
handfuls. Thoroughly mix into the salad with a good lot
of fresh torn basil leaves. Leave for no longer than 10
minutes before serving .
This recipe is inspired by one of my favourite chefs, Simon
Hopkinson. He keeps it simple, as do I, but some
people add peppers, anchovies and all manner of things
to the salad. If you are bringing this to a picnic, you
could put the basic salad in a plastic tub, but don’t add
the bread or the basil leaves until you’re ready to serve.
AVOCADO CEASAR SALAD
One or two ripe avocados
Some nice crisp salad leaves, such as Hearts of
Romaine, or Cos
Parmesan Cheese
Home made croutons and a salad dressing.
For the croutons, cut the bread into cubes - not
too small! Pour a good glug of olive oil and a little
sunflower oil into a bowl. Now roll this around in the
bowl, letting it come up the sides before throwing in
the cubes of bread. Toss them gently around in the
oil until they get nicely covered. Then spread
on an oven sheet and roast at 180º until they
become golden and crispy. You’ll need tot
keep an eye on them so they don’t burn and
turn them around now and again for even
cooking.
Take them out when done to your liking and
finely grate some Parmesan over them while
they’re still warm.
Now make the dressing by blending together:
2 chopped cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 generous teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup of Hellmans (or similar) Mayonnaise
When blended, stir in 1 cup of finely grated Parmesan
Cheese
You can add some anchovy paste if you like and, if
you think the dressing is a bit thick, taste it and thin it
down with just a little more lemon juice or water. But
be careful, you do want it to cling to the leaves.
Slice the avocado and sprinkle with a little lemon
juice and salt.
Now, compose you salad. Toss the leaves with as
much of the dressing as you fancy (you will have
some left over fo another day). Arrange in your
serving bowl, artfully add the avocado and the croutons.
After I made this, I felt it might be enhanced by the
addition of some bacon lardons.
And of course, you can add chicken if you like to
make more of a meal of it.
Enjoy with a nicely chilled glass of White!
Maura Dillon-Malone

Harry Tartt’s Housebound Horoscopes
“With the help of a local woman with pink hair and a nose-piercing I think I’ve
managed to knock out a pretty good horoscope for your delectation. Which is
quite an achievement for a man with no previous expertise in astronomy.”
Aries 21 March -20 April
Many predictions can be infuriating,
like the infamous ‘Beware the ides
of March’. Many historians believe
Caesar had no idea what the Ides of March actually
meant, and was thus fatally unprepared.
It would have been more helpful if the old hag
had said to him, ‘Don’t go out on the 15th of
March because your best mates are going to
stab you to death’ – but prophecy doesn’t work
that way I’m afraid. So all I will say is this:
when the dog’s head is at it’s lowest point be
aware of men bearing false sacrifice.
Taurus 20 April - 21 May
The sign of the bull. As many people
know I was once chased by a bull
whilst accidentally wearing a red
cape on a windy day, so I know how
angry and vengeful you can be. You need to
calm down, and stop forcing innocent pensioners
to leap over stiles.
Cancer 21 June - 23 July
Despite your age you are still
quite handsome (in a rugged
interesting way). However, you
can almost be too charming and that can lead
to you getting in trouble with your various love
interests. But sometimes these love interests
become controlling and insist on knowing
what time you’ll be back from the Social
Club, or how much you’re spending at the
bookies. It’s not fair. It’s not like I’m married
or anything.
Leo 23 July - 23 August
I recall a famous yodeller, who
was also an expert at sword-swallowing.
One ill-fated night he attempted to
combine the two skills. I was one of a coachload
of pensioners who looked on in horror as
he did so just as the coach hit a pot-hole. And
as traumatic as it was, there IS a lesson there
dear Leo’s = focus on one skill at a time.
Libra 23 Sept - 23 Oct
Watch what you eat and maybe
contemplate a diet in August.
Some people have remarked that
you are beginning to look a bit porky.
Scorpio 23 Oct - 22 Nov
Let’s be honest, you have a
tendency to prattle on about your
new decking quite a bit. Now is
the time to take up a new hobby, like hiking, or
meditating. Go on, explore yourself, just preferably
away from other people.
Sagittarius 22 Nov-22 Dec
Well, well, well, August is looking
good for you. But avoid Guildford.
Aquarius 20 Jan - 19 Feb
Aristotle once said ‘It is during our
darkest moments that we must focus
to see the light’. Well, that was easy
for him to say, as he never had cataracts. But
there is a lesson there Aquarius. Avoid dark
cellars, pits and tunnels this August.
Pisces 19 Feb - 21 March
A wise man once told me ‘you
can’t ride two horses at the same
time’. A year later I happened to get talking to a
Ukrainian circus performer, and it transpired that
riding two horses at the same time was precisely
what he did for a living. So I went back to the
wise man to tell him about the Ukrainian twohorse
rider and he became angry and withdrew
into himself. He was a Pisces.
Gemini 21 May - 21 June
The sign of Gemini is represented
by a pair of twins, or 2 faces, depending
on the astronomer. I have
no problem with twins (except for the ones
in that film, The Shining), but two-faces? It’s
a well known fact that most card-sharks and
cat-burglars are Geminis. But it doesn’t have
to be that way. Walk the truth path. And stop
cheating at cards.
Virgo 23 Aug - 23 Sept
A man who’s name begins with
the letter M may try to steal your
front door keys, but the letter P is important
to you when you go on a long journey. The
Moon should have entered Virgo by the time
you read this, but I have no idea what that
means.
Capricorn 22 Dec - 20 Jan
Come on Capricorn, you are
always questioning yourself, or
doubting yourself. Should I do this, should I
do that..? Well stop with all the prevaricating,
get out and socialise, go to the pub more often
(you can afford it). Maybe do something charitable,
like buy a stranger a pint. Whatever you
do though, be sure to be generous, or people
will start to talk.
Harry Tartt

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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.
Alice Glover
meets
Nell & Paul
at Lovington Bakery
All you ‘Knead’ is Love!
Boasting a superior selection of naturally
leavened, artisan bread, delectable pastries
and a spacious, rustic interior, the Lovington
Bakery has become a high street haunt for
many an exchange of creative ideas
or relaxed coffee catch-up, with customers
flocking from far and wide for
a generous hunk of the ‘upper crust’!
Eager to continue this rise in success
are the recently appointed Chef and
Manager Nell’ and Paul who despite
taking up their posts at the beginning
of ‘lockdown’, have already made
their mark. As if giant slabs of fresh
stone-baked pizza and a bountiful
supply of chubby, all-butter croissants
weren’t tempting enough, in alignment
with their own high-end catering
service they have brought this exquisite
fine dining experience ‘to the
table’. “Good, wholesome food using
ethically sourced ingredients is the
basis of great dinner-table conversation
and sparks creativity”, exclaimed
Nell, “and where better than the Lovington
Bakery to facilitate this?”
In addition to their mouth-watering
lunchtime dishes, they have devised
an American themed ‘take-away’,
providing much needed sweet and
savoury solace during these somewhat
surreal times. The Hot Dog,
for example, has been elevated
from the unctuous baseball fan’s
‘half-time’ snack to something a little
more refined, with a choice of smoky
chorizo and equally succulent Quorn
sausages, not forgetting the classic
‘frankfurter’.
Upon re-opening their café they are
looking to launch a revised à la carte
menu and to resume their ‘pop up’
events such as their well attended
Sunday lunches and themed supper
clubs, but of course in re-adapted
surroundings so that customers can
adjust more comfortably to this new
‘normal’.
In addition this traditionally continental establishment
has now been given a local twist
with a new assortment of West Country produce.
From speciality teas, locally harvested
‘soft-set’ honey to milk, eggs and even rich,
luxurious handcrafted soaps.
So now might be the time to ease those
‘lockdown’ blues and let your taste buds be
tantalised with this exceptional, innovative
fare!

The Quiet of Wincanton
It is, of course, a great thing for the World that Co-Vid 19 is no longer keeping us
shut up and indoors. I won’t miss the fear and the worry about venturing out and
I will be so glad to be able to hug my family and lots of other people. But I will
miss the quiet. I remember the warm April days with no traffic and the birds singing
and not having to talk to anyone and the feeling of space, relaxation, peace.
There is a website, https://silentspace.
org.uk that tells the story of a growing
trend. The Silent Spaces that are illustrated
there are beautiful National Trust type
gardens with old brick walls espaliered
with peach trees, marble urns overflowing
with roses and paths gracefully bordered
with lavender. It doesn’t say how much
it costs to access these luxurious havens
of quiet.
But we, residents of Wincanton, can
experience this for nothing. There are
pockets and corners of our town where
we can find such havens and all the better
for being in walking distance.
In summer (between April and September),
if you wander up the High Street
on a Wednesday you can knock on the
door of Clementina’s. The old shop is still
LOCATION
Quaker Garden
30/32 High Street, BA9
9JF
Clementina’s Garden,
7 High Street, BA9 9JN
St Peter’s & St Paul’s
Parish Church
(That big one at the
bottom of town).
Cash’s Park
Wricksons View
Memorial Wildflower
Meadow, Cale Park
OPENING
HOURS/Cov19
restrictions
9.00 am – 6.00
pm Please
observe social
distancing
Not open during
lockdown
During
lockdown,
Sun 9–11am &
Wed 2–4 pm
Please observe
Social Distancing
Please observe
Social Distancing
Closed during
lockdown
there and Zac Greening will be working
in his studio. He will show you through
to a beautiful warm walled garden with
urns and columns and sculptures old and
new. You can stay for as long as you
like between 11.00am and 4pm with no
restrictions except that you are quiet and
your phone is switched off.
A little further up the High Street on the
other side of the road is the Quaker Community
Peace Garden. It is small and
exquisite with lavender bordering the path
and plenty of seating space. It is a place
to meditate or think things through. The
Quakers are generous and broad minded.
There are no noise restrictions for children
who can play there to their hearts’
content. But they would only be there, if
at all, after school or at weekends or holidays
and they, too, might enjoy the quiet,
Normally open for
QUIET TIMES
9.00 pm – 6.00 pm
Wheelchair access
From April to the end
of September on Weds
11am – 4.00 pm
Wheelchair access
9 am – 3.30 am
Wheel chair access
No restrictions
Any timeNot suitable
for wheel chairs
Any time not very
friendly for wheel chairs
possible to sit at the
entrance to the garden
Contacts/Notes
With thanks to:
Ray Leary (Clerk for the Quaker
Hall) Andy Hall Secretary, All
Churches Together
With thanks to:
Nicholas Cave
Zac Greening
With thanks to:
Penny Ashton
Rev. Alison Way
With thanks to: Zac Greening
With thanks to:
Simon Wiltshire
so you can enjoy it with them and explain
why you’re switching off your phone.
We are lucky to have Cale Park and the
river running through it. You can search
for the rainbow trout who live under the
Cemetery Bridge if you want to, but if you
go over the Troll Bridge into the children’s
playground, turn right and walk past the
swings you will find yourself in a wildflower
garden. When I was there last there
were swathes of Knapweed and Lady’s
Bedstraw, Oxeye daisies and Birdsfoot
Trefoil amongst the wild grasses.
You can walk along a path through this
flowering glory and sit on a (very) rustic
bench to be soothed by the humming
of the bees and other pollinators revelling
in this ever changing, ever evolving
wild place. I heard nothing except these
pollinators, but occasionally no doubt the
excited cry of a child on the slide or the
zip wire might come across to emphasise
the silence that otherwise surrounds you.
Or sometimes a dog might bark in the
distance. But otherwise, you can absorb
complete peace. I’ve heard other plans
for wildflowers too.
You can walk down the hill on North
Street and find some rather
imposing gates leading into
Cash’s Park. The imposing
gates are usually locked but
a single gate on their left is
normally open.
It’s a steep climb up but
there are some beautiful
trees and I have it on good
authority that there are
plans to plant wildflowers
at the hedged borders of
the park. There are benches
at intervals and it is quiet,
except sometimes for the
green woodpecker tapping
and a thrush and a
blackbird singing.
If you go on to the
top of the steep path
and turn left to go up
into the field above
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the park and then turn right, there is a
gate in the right hand wall leading to a
small field called Wrickson’s View and
here again there is silence and, as you sit
on (another) rustic bench, the view gives
this place a wonderful feeling of peace.
But what if it’s cold and raining and you
are desperate for somewhere quiet and
warm? There are always the churches.
Our Parish Church of St Peter and St
Paul (the big one at the bottom of the
town) is open, during lockdown on Sundays
from 9–11 and on Wednesdays from
2–4. In normal times it is always open
from 9–3.00 am. There may be a few
people arranging the flowers or moving
the chairs, but they are very welcoming to
everyone, regardless of faith or the lack of
it, and they understand the need for quiet
contemplation.
Obviously, in all these places it is necessary
to observe the guidelines about social
distancing, masks or whatever. And
it is asked that you switch off phones and
be considerate of other people’s need for
quiet. But even if not entirely silent, these
are all places of peace where we can sit
for a while to regain some equanimity
and re-centre ourselves. I might
well pass you there.

A lost family history
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
I was raised in Charlton Musgrove and have
lived in the Wincanton area for most of my life.
I have an interest in local history and also the
wildlife of the area. This was stimulated and
encouraged by sitting in local pubs and chatting
with some amazing local characters who
were always happy to share their knowledge.
I hope to share some of this with you in future
issues, but I wanted to start with something a
little more personal to me.
I’m sure that many of us have had the experience
of discovering old family photographs
that had long been forgotten. The memories
that these can bring back often prompts us to
record them in a more modern format, creating
files and albums full of history that can be
pinged across the world in seconds, and saved
in perpetuity by many family members to be
shared with others as they come to a suitable
age. But what do you do when you find the
family photos of a family that have no direct
descendants to share with?
Recently I came across a
heavy wooden box, in a
cupboard at my Mums family
home. Upon investigation
the box was filled with hundreds
of glass stereoscope
slides dating from the 1920’s
and 30’s and a binocular
style device for viewing the
pictures. As I started to explore
the images it became
apparent that these were not
images of my family, but those of some friends
of my Grandparents. My mum explained that
this couple had only had one child, Molly, a
daughter who been killed in a motor accident
after she was married, she had no children and
therefore the family line was no more. They
were obviously avid travellers for their time, as
the photos represent holidays taken all over
the south of England, and even to the WW1
cemeteries and memorials in France!
To choose some of these images to share
has been such a challenge, there are so
many interesting topics:
London Zoo, showing the Grizzlies and Polar
Bear on “Bear Mountain” 1926.
The British Empire Exhibition of Wembley
(1924) for which Wembley Stadium was
originally constructed.
Naval Exercises in the English Channel
1922.
A collection of professionally taken (and often
quite gruesome!) shots showing life in the
trenches during WW1.
But to me the most valuable images of this
collection are the poignant glimpses of a
young family enjoying the many experiences
that our country, at that stage had to offer to
those who had the time, money and inclination
to make the most of it.
A fascinating insight into middle-class life in
the inter-war years!
Dan Thurston

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Karen Russell is licensed and regulated
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“I am afraid I am going to be late in to work
because there are three water-buffalos
running around in our garden.” How many
people have used that as an excuse for letting
patients/clients down?
Before heading off to Andover hospital,
where he worked three days a week, Garth
was in the habit of taking the dogs down to
the end of the garden to open the greenhouse
door. It had been raining for several
days and the ground was sodden. On his
way back to the house one of the dogs
made a strange gasping noise – something
between a growl and a whine. On turning
around, he saw marching behind the dogs,
a large water-buffalo – accompanied by two
other slightly smaller versions. The leader
lowered its head and poked the stunned dog
with its horns, which resulted in a charge by
Garth and his dogs back up to the house –
chased by the three intruders who thought it
was a great game.
It took some minutes to convince Richard
that the panic was not a practical joke but
when he looked out of the back window
and saw the three munching away at our
shrubs he was galvanised in to action. By
then the lawn was full of huge divots from
heavy hooves charging about. The more
we chased them, the more fun they were
having, the more our garden looked like a
ploughed field.
Eventually we coaxed them on to the weir
and in to the river. Using long poles, we
coaxed them up river to their original grazing
field adjacent to our garden. Since then,
we have constructed a wire boom across
the river to prevent any further water-borne
predators! Alas it does not prevent Mr Otter
from visiting.
Drs Richard Gribble
and Garth Robertson
Call me now on 07805 783147

Whilst The Balsam Centre has been
closed since the end of March, it
doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy.
When Covid 19 arrived, no one knew
what life would be like the following
week, let alone 4 months on. What we
did know though was that people would
still need our help in different ways. Sue
Shelbourne-Barrow, the Mayor, moved
very quickly to build a support plan,
bringing the Town Council, the Live At
Home Scheme and The Balsam Centre
together, to pool our volunteers and sort
out food and support. Sue Place, the
manager of The Balsam Centre, worked
with other mental health support charities
at the request of the NHS to form an alliance
across Somerset with one phone 24
hour number for anyone needing mental
health support - 01823 276 892 - and our
counsellors increased their hours to meet
the extra demand, all working from home.
Kelly, working with mums struggling
with post-natal depression, held Zoom
sessions rather than face-to-face, and
encouraged mums to get creative. Claire
held her flexercise classes via Zoom and
she paired up the young people in her
youth group with single older people in
their community to write letters to one
another. Yes! Real letters!
Within Wincanton we posted little yellow
cards with phone numbers for the Town
Hall, the Food Bank, the Live at Home
Scheme and The Balsam Centre, along
with all the fantastic local businesses that
stepped forward and changed their working
methods to deliver food to people.
Not everyone is online, although we often
assume they are, so getting the cards out
was vital - MANY thanks to the volunteers
who tramped the streets to do this. You
have no idea how many houses there
are in Wincanton until you have to post
something through each one - unless, of
course, you are a postal worker.
Covid 19 has been grim, keeping us
indoors, away from family and friends,
and for many, unable to even collect their
shopping. But there have definitely been
rays of sunshine too. Most of the people
I’ve met whilst delivering shopping or food
parcels to I’ve never met before and it
has been such a pleasure to chat them.
Retired actresses and chefs, someone
who learnt Tai Chi in China, people who
travelled the world, and those who knew
Wincanton before much was built here;
they have all been fascinating to listen
to. My husband was born in Iran, and
one person left me a box of slides when I
delivered her shopping, pictures of Iran in
the 1950s that she thought my husband
might like to see. We dusted down the
slide projector that night and had a slide
show; it was wonderful. The volunteers
involved have all had similar experiences
of new friendships formed, plant cuttings
swapped, and chats over the gate, and
the real pleasure it has given them.
Although the Town Hall covered food parcels
in Wincanton, we were getting some
out to the villages around Wincanton too.
The government food box service was
great but not everyone could use the contents
so we were collecting the surplus
and delivering them out to families who
needed support. People were so generous;
donations made by rounding up the
shopping bill allowed us to buy fresh milk,
fruit and veg to top up food parcels of dry
goods. Other donations paid for emergency
energy key top-ups or nappies. One
man even paid for someone’s shopping
for 5 weeks until she was back on her
feet. A donated laptop and printer went
to a family with no IT so their son could do
his schoolwork. People have been so kind.
Getting the food supplies was essential
but keeping contacts in any shape or form
has been vital too. One of our counsellors
suggested a jigsaw puzzle swap so
we put out a call for puzzles and received
them from as far as Gillingham. It’s been
popular for many people and another
opportunity to stop and chat as we swap
them, but for others a jigsaw is just a
perfectly good picture chopped in to 500
pieces. So we added books and raided
our bookshelves. Harper Collins then
donated several crates of new books too;
Sudoku and crossword books along with
fiction books arrived. My dining room has
disappeared.
Key to all of this has been the volunteers.
Wincanton, you are amazing! Many people
stepped forward to help us - THANK
YOU - we could never have done this
without you. From delivering leaflets and
food boxes, shopping once or twice a
week, collecting prescriptions, shifting
furniture to make way for a hospital bed,
walking the dog, sorting IT problems and
shower hoses to phoning people for a
chat - they’ve done it all. Some have gone
back to work but are still fitting in the odd
shop around their hours. And firm friendships
have been made that I hope will
continue when this is all over. One of the
volunteers has even got a job from the
volunteering role she had. The Balsam
Centre had 37 volunteers alone, not
including those that worked for the Live
at Home Scheme or the Town Hall. Some
of our volunteers also helped our local
fruit and veg shop get free deliveries out
to Wincanton and all the nearby villages.
You have all been FANTASTIC.
In numbers? From The Balsam Centre
: 376 shopping trips, 159 prescriptions
collected and delivered, 52 food parcels
or surplus box deliveries (and that’s just
from The Balsam Centre, not the Town
Hall or the food bank), and 55 jigsaw puzzle
deliveries, along with the trips to take
dogs to the vets, key-top ups, post office
visits, etc. But it has been so much more
than just the numbers. This is a community
that came together to help each other
in uncertain times that I hope will have a
lasting impact. Kindness has been at the
heart of it all.
If you need help or just fancy a jigsaw
puzzle, Sudoku, Crossword or reading
book, give me a call! Annette 07395
326932.
Annette Yoosefinejad. Volunteer Coordinator.
The Balsam Centre.

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?
Would you like to help someone in your local Community?
Then why not consider Volunteering for Somerset Sight?
We are a long established local charity covering the whole of Somerset and have visually
impaired Service users all over the County just waiting to meet someone like you.
Our Volunteer Visiting Service provides an invaluable lifeline to many lonely and isolated
people who may otherwise not see anyone from one weeks end to another and a friendly
face once a week or once a fortnight can make an enormous difference to someone’s life
If this is something you would like to do then please contact
Christine on 01823 333818
Or email christine@somersetsight.org.uk
Company No: 8432686 : Charity No:1154472