Working Together for a Better Community

Newsletter For the parishes of , , and with Thurlbear

Issue 26 - Winter 2017

Once again our friends at Racecourse have shown their support for our newsletter with their sponsorship of this issue, and they have lots of news to share, from celebratory Christmas events to owners’ club news and fixtures for the coming season. See pages 18-23 to find out more about ways to enjoy our very own racecourse!

Welcome to the Neroche Villages’ Newsletter, a quarterly publication delivered free to every household in Neroche Parish, providing news and information on a wide variety of subjects and issues. Macmillan Coffee Morning By Wally Torrington

The ladies of Neroche Parish once again organised a terrific Coffee Morning at the Greyhound Inn, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Pauline Phelps and Tricia Dryden brought together a strong team of WI friends and other local volunteers; their hard work was rewarded by some excellent support from Neroche residents and personal friends who turned up for the event.

As well as coffee and tea, there was a great selection of donated cakes and pastries to feast upon. There was also a stall for purchasing cakes to take home, which did a roaring trade. Lubo, the Greyhound Inn chef, purchased a lemon drizzle cake, which he described as “sublime, the best I’ve ever tasted” (the cake was made and donated by Brenda Crossley who consequently was presented with a‘ Best Baker Badge’ by Pauline Phelps).

I must admit to always submitting an advance order for one of Brenda’s delicious Victoria Sandwiches; and this year I also bought some of Wynn Balance’s beautifully-decorated sponges.

All cakes were sold; the vast majority during the event, and the remainder during the day from a table set up in the restaurant with a collection box. As well as organising the food and beverages, the ladies were busy running

2 the ‘Guess the Height of the Cake’ competition, which was won by Stella Limm, with her closest guess to the answer of 94cm.

When the income from the various sales and activities was totted-up, it transpired that an impressive total of £400 was raised for the charity.

Thanks must go to the new management team, Marianne and Dan for allowing the event to be held in their premises. The ladies were also grateful for the assistance given by Lubo, Dave and Mags who work at the Greyhound - they could not have been more helpful and accommodating.

Congratulations must go to all those involved in making the Coffee Morning such an outstanding local community success. And many thanks to all the local residents who turned up and supported the event. A fantastic effort all round!

A message from Macmillan Cancer Support: “Every cake and every cuppa helps us make a huge difference to people facing cancer. So we’d like to say a huge thank you – whether you’ve baked beautiful brownies or a nearly perfect Pavlova (there’s nothing a dusting of icing can’t fix). And if you’ve bought something yummy, you’re brilliant too.

You are helping us: to fund Macmillan nurses; to provide information about cancer; and be there when people need us most. If you need to talk about cancer, have questions or just want to chat, call 0808 808 00 00 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk ”

3 The Autumn Fish’n’Chips Quiz By Alan Perrior

The biannual quiz held on Friday 6 October at the Neroche Hall saw the return of quizmaster “Whistling” Mike Michaels (more of the “whistling” later), and he certainly shook up the quiz with some interesting and entertaining questions. In all, 19 teams competed for the bragging rights to call themselves ‘The Brains of Neroche’.

Every available table had been booked well in advance, guaranteeing that the quiz would be another runaway success, and the happy crowd ritually barracked the quizmaster when he got something wrong, and groaned when an all-too-obvious answer (that most teams missed) was revealed. The quiz comprised nine rounds of ten questions each, in categories such as General Knowledge, Sport and Geography.

There was an extra round of 20 Acronyms which turned out to be more difficult than you’d imagine. After all, who knew that ‘WADA’ stands for “World Anti Doping Agency” – well actually, four teams did! In this round of 20 acronyms, scores ranged from a high of 17 to a low of seven, with an average score across all teams of 12.5, so this was definitely a game-changing round.

As usual, ‘Lazy Ricks’ performed miracles by providing over 100 varied (not just fish-based), hot meals in an unfeasibly short time for the mid-quiz interval. Overall, the organising committee must be extremely pleased with the event and the way in which it was conducted – well done!

From the 19 teams over nine rounds there were only eight perfect scores of 10 out of 10,

4 two of these were scored by Not Poldark who were in with a chance of winning until they had a disastrous Acronyms round.

There was the normal spate of correct answers being changed to incorrect – it wouldn’t be a quiz if there weren’t mistakes of this type. For example, in the Geography round, for the question “Which country is longer North to South; the UK or Madagascar?” one team started off with the wrong answer (UK), changed it to the correct answer (Madagascar) – hooray! And then spoilt it all by changing it back to the wrong answer again! If only they’d stopped at Madagascar, they’d have ended up in equal second place overall.

Only one question and one acronym baffled every team. The question was on Science and Nature; “How many sides does a hendecagon have?” No quizzer in the hall knew that ‘hendeka’ is Greek for eleven; thus a hendecagon has 11 sides. The “impossible” acronym was ‘NASDAQ’ – there were a few good guesses but nobody knew that it is the ‘National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations’.

Also, incredibly, the quizmaster demonstrated the old adage ‘For marking purposes, the quizmaster is right even when he’s wrong’! One particular question required a simple ‘True’ or ‘False’ answer to the statement “Muesli was invented by Dr Muesli”. The correct

5 continued on next page answer, on the night, was ‘True’. Of course, this was total rubbish; muesli was invented Dr Bircher-Benner and the word ‘muesli’ has the linguistic root ‘müs’, meaning porridge.

However, all was forgiven when the quizmaster announced that the final round was ‘Music’, specifically it was to be Radio and Television theme tunes. And more specifically, the Quizzers applaud Whistling Mike’s quizmaster would be bravura performance whistling the tunes!

Much hilarity ensued and the quizzers joined in, with great enthusiasm, whenever they recognised a theme tune. ‘Whistling Mike’s’ efforts were rewarded by a huge round of applause and requests for repeats of most of the themes – just for the entertainment value. A bravura performance! Further proof of Whistling Mike’s ability came when the round was marked – the average score, across all teams, was 7.6 points with three teams actually achieving 10 out of 10. So, well done Mike!

The quiz itself was a hard-fought affair with more than half the teams still in contention after nine rounds, until the Acronyms results were announced. But, in the end, ‘Late Declaration’ won by three clear points – congratulations to them!

Lastly, there should be a special award for comedic invention, and it should be presented to the team who decided that the acronym ‘WYSIWYG’ stands for “Would You Sleep In With Your Goats”. Wrong, but surely worth an extra point for giving us all a laugh!

Roll on the next quiz in April 2018.

6 A warm Greyhound welcome awaits By Alan Hyde As many readers will know, the Greyhound Inn at Staple Fitzpaine is under new ownership, but while there are plans for improvement there are no plans to change the essential character of this popular country pub. Dan, pictured behind the bar, and Marianne Nicholls took over in August after running a pub in Nailsea near Bristol. Dan has a background in facilities management and Marianne is a trained chef. Both look forward to welcoming customers, old and new, as they settle into their new roles, supported by familiar faces, Mags and chef Lubo. Revised menus are now available, building on some favourite dishes, and a Specials selection has been introduced to add to the fabulous fare on offer. There are also plans to extend the Sunday lunch opening hours. And customers can check out the mouthwatering Christmas menu by visiting www.thegreyhoundinntaunton.co.uk or popping in. Elsewhere, a revamp of the ladies loo is underway and a wider refurbishment is also on the cards, said Dan. Dan added: "We've been made to feel very welcome, and we're keen to return the favour to all our customers. This is a wonderful part of the country and we look forward to building on the Greyhound's reputation as a fantastic place to stay, drink or eat." 7 Neroche Hall update By Richard Davies As the evenings start to draw in it often takes a bit of effort to leave the comfort and warmth of our homes and for that reason we endeavour to entice you out to the hall with a variety of interesting and worthwhile events.

Our monthly Film Nights are among those evenings that tempt people out and there is a number of good films coming up. You may recall the article in the last edition of the Newsletter which outlined our programme of films and I hope you will have them in your diaries. Most recently was Hampstead on November 27. We take a break from film night in December as most people’s lives are taken up with festive activities.

However we have two events which will hopefully appeal to people this December - a ‘Take Art’ production on Saturday 9 December entitled “Brilliance” and our ‘New Year’s Eve party on Sunday 31 December. Tickets are on sale for both events and you will find details in this newsletter and on our website www.nerochehall.org.uk/events

As many of you will know the hall runs a ‘100 Club’ draw with a first and second prize drawn usually on the first Tuesday in each month and enhanced prizes are drawn at Christmas, Easter and August. The cost of being a member of the “100 Club’ is a mere £15 a year payable in October and those who currently hold a number(s) will have already received a letter reminding you that subscriptions are now due. If you are already a holder and have not received a reminder or wish to join, please contact our administrator either directly by email on [email protected] or via the Hall website as above. All proceeds other than allocated prizes go directly to the hall’s running costs.

As 2018 quickly approaches many will be looking for a venue to hold a birthday party, wedding reception or other celebration and so it is 8 worthwhile reiterating that the hall or committee room can be hired. Hire rates are to be found on the website and it is also possible to hire at a preferential rate if you are resident within the Neroche parish. Tables and chairs can also be hired from the hall if you wish to have a function at your own home.

Finally, I would again appeal for anyone who is interested in becoming involved with the hall by either joining the committee or volunteering to be a ‘friend of the hall’ to get in touch with us for an informal chat. If you are new to the area and would like to become a little more involved with the community you live in then you could do worse than coming along to the hall to find out more. If you feel you have nothing to offer you are probably very wrong as we can always do with another pair of hands and you never know, you might enjoy it!

Friday film night HAMPSTEAD (12a)

Neroche Hall November 24, 7.30pm

An American widow (Diane Keaton) finds unexpected love with a man living wild on Hampstead Heath (Brendan Gleeson) when they take on the developers who want to destroy his home.

£6 - bar and snacks

Nicky Baxter 01823 480675

9 Thursday Lunches at Neroche Village Hall By Alison Brown

We have been running our Thursday Lunches for seven years, providing a social occasion for all in our community. Many friendships have been forged, and those who live alone have the opportunity to meet and socialise with others and enjoy a wonderful, hearty meal.

Year on year the number of our guests has increased to between 40 to 50, and at our Christmas meal we can cater for 80-plus. The helpers also get a great deal of enjoyment in producing the meal.

We have been lucky enough to have a few new helpers, but as with all things, we could do with more help! It is not an onerous task as we work on a rota - should you be 'on the list' but unable to cover on that particular day, then someone will take on your task. Our cooks can be asked to do a main course, or vegetables or a pudding - not all at once. We are becoming famous for the variety of our yummy puds.

Thanks must go to all those Friends of St Peter's who continue to be involved in this very worthwhile project, particularly the small team who co-ordinate each lunch. They ensure the smooth running of the lunch and the efficient service of a delicious hot meal. Our lovely clergy give thanks to God for the food and the company at the beginning of each meal - and sometimes after.

Generally a small profit is made and this is passed to the Church and the Village Hall, together with other worthwhile causes. A collection is made at each lunch for Open Door, supporting the homeless in Taunton. At the end of 2016 we donated £550. Our November collection is donated to the British Legion.

To find out about becoming a 'helper' please contact either myself at [email protected] or Tricia Dryden [email protected] for a chat. 10 Neroche voices heard as Saturday Park and Ride is reprieved

By County Councillor John Thorne

Since becoming your county councillor in May, I have been told time and again about the financial challenges faced by the council as our funding from central Government is gradually being reduced, and will eventually stop all together.

It is the reason for continually looking very carefully, almost microscopically (if that is actually a word) at anything and everything the council does, to see if any savings can be made, large or small. As my supermarket employer is fond of saying, ‘every little helps’, and all the small-scale savings can add up to a substantial sum by the end of the financial year.

One such saving you will likely have heard a great deal about, is the withdrawal of the Park and Ride service on a Saturday. This would save the county council £50,000 in a full year. To me, and, I am sure, to many others, that is a considerable sum of money.

In the context of the council needing to find £19 million of savings to balance this year’s budget, however, it is one of those ‘every little helps’ sums.

This comparatively small saving for what I consider to be a major setback to an important service, is one of the reasons I have been quietly lobbying away to maintain the Saturday park and ride buses.

11 continued on next page I believe we should be developing the service and extending its operating hours and days, not cutting back.

And so, I was really pleased to be given the news that the Saturday park and ride is to be kept going until at least after Christmas, and that we are looking at potential funding sources to keep it going for even longer.

I have at every opportunity been raising the issue with the Cabinet member responsible for transport, with the Council Leader himself, and with others.

A large part of the success, if it can be called such, is down to the residents of Neroche and nearby who gave me feedback on the issue. Your voices were directly heard by the Cabinet member and Leader, and I am sure was influential in the decision being taken to reprieve the service.

With your help, I have been able to put a strong and comprehensive case for retaining the Saturday buses. It goes to show that teamwork and persistence can pay off.

There are, though, lots of savings still to be found to reach the £19 million target, just short of £6 million in the most recent report I received.

It does not always mean cutting or stopping activities, there are many examples where council officers use innovative thinking to do things in a different way which maintains a service while still costing less. I have been hugely impressed so far with the quality of the council’s officers, their knowledge of issues and their keenness to protect and improve the services we provide to you.

They are, by and large, supported by councillors of all parties who are just as keen to do their best for you.

Contact Cllr Thorne: Phone: 01823 663146 Mobile: 07811 675262 email: JBThorne@.gov.uk

12 Illuminating and electrifying theatre

Farnham Maltings bring their latest play Brilliance to Neroche Hall, courtesy of Take Art

Saturday December 9 1963, winter. Everyone is gathering in the village hall. Martha places her hand on the switch, presses it down, and life is never the same again. Long after its arrival in the city, the slow process of rural electrification is illuminating every corner and crevice of village life. As the dark evenings hold us in, 240 volts of alternating current and the humble electric light bulb allows us to gather and sing long into the night. Brilliance is a 90-minute theatrical event that celebrates progress and change in a bright new world. From the company that brought you It’s A Wonderful Life, The Iranian Feast and Yørgjin Oxo, we now bring you Brilliance a show with music made especially for village halls. Always a sell out Farnham Maltings are a long established theatre company who always deliver an excellent evening’s entertainment. Doors open 7.15pm for a 7.45pm start Bar and nibbles available EARLY BIRD TICKETS £10 before 1st DECEMBER £12 thereafter Under 16 yrs £8 Tickets from Sheila 01823 480758 Anne 01460 234377 [email protected] Or http://www.wegottickets.com/event/412998 13 Chris raises money on The Great West Run, Exeter! By Nicky Baxter

Chris Baxter, parishioner from Bickenhall - and my husband - recently completed his first half marathon at the age of 56 and in the process raised money for a charity close to both our hearts.

Taking up running only two years ago, he used the "Couch to 5k" app on his phone to "get going". Previously Chris had no interest in running but when encouraged by yours truly thought he would give it a go. Much to his surprise he found he really enjoyed running. He now normally runs three or four times a week, mainly around the parish but also along the disused railway line from Ilminster to Chard - usually with Sophie, our small black Labrador, faithfully by his side.

He also participates in 10k races and Park Runs - a national weekly 5k run with local events in Longrun Meadow, Taunton or in the stately grounds of Montacute House, Yeovil. The photo below left shows them both outside Montacute House after their last run there.

As Chris's distances slowly started to increase he felt it was time to

14 enter a half-marathon. He decided to raise money for a small charity you may not have heard of called Assert. This stands for Angelman Syndrome Education and Research Trust. His reason for choosing Assert is because our beautiful happy niece Ava Olive has this condition.

It arises from a missing or mutant gene and means she will never talk, may not walk (but we hope so), has epilepsy, will have severe learning difficulties and will need full-time care for the rest of her life. The hopes and dreams for Ava Olive to lead a normal life were shattered.

Unfortunately her parents, Julian and Gemma, found the information given by the NHS was very limited and extremely negative. Finding the charity Assert was a lifeline for them and gave them hope for the future in finding the best in Angelman's Syndrome. The whole family moved forward to celebrate what Ava can do, rather than grieving for what she can't do.

The bonus of the condition is "Angels" are very happy individuals who love people. Assert also supports research in finding a cure

As a result of his run Chris has raised over £1,300 with gift aid. We would both like to thank all parishioners and others who donated to what we consider is such a worthy cause. It means a lot to us and our family. Donations are still coming in and if you would like to donate or just read more about Assert and Angelman Syndrome please see https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chr istopher-baxter7 15 Doing the rounds with Bailey & Down Keith Bailey tells us how he came to run this lifesaving business

I was born a farmer’s son and a lover of animals as well as the countryside. I have spent my life connected with nature and outdoor life. After leaving school I obtained a diploma at agricultural college and then I held the position of herd’s manager for many years. Keith Bailey and Sharon hard at work

By the millennium, dairy farming faced many problems including BSE, foot and mouth disease and falling income. I decided it was time for a change and resigned my position in 2002 after many happy years.

Walking around a supermarket at Christmas I bumped into a friend who was a mobile newsagent. Whilst talking he said he wanted an assistant and was looking to sell the business in the future.

I worked with him for a while to learn the ropes and then purchased the goodwill of the business. This new way of life suited me well, out in the countryside in the early mornings, meeting new people from various walks of life and becoming involved in a small way in their lives.

Realising that people may be interested in other products which we could deliver at the same time as newspapers and magazines, we

16 introduced milk (including organic), creams, butter, cheese, probiotics, fruit juices, locally-produced free range eggs and locally-grown potatoes. I have found this way of life very rewarding and satisfying despite the sometimes-challenging winters and adverse weather conditions. The winter of 2010 comes to mind when I was fighting snowdrifts and very icy driving conditions for a few weeks. The positives I can take from the challenges that year is that we had saved two lives having found people collapsed in the bad conditions and were able to get the necessary help.

Despite all the obstacles we can pride ourselves on reaching every customer every day with their supplies even if it meant doing it on foot.

It was a similar story fighting the floods in 2014 but we were never beaten and always delivered, as well as again saving another life. It seems we have become a form of neighbourhood watch!

We cover the area from to Churchingford across to Bishopswood, Buckland St Mary, , , , Staple Fitzpaine, Bickenhall, Curland, Neroche through to the outskirts of Ashill.

I believe the service we offer is of great benefit to the local communities, especially the elderly. Unfortunately, we lose customers as we go along, that is a fact of life. It is my intention to continue for many years, especially as I recently secured the enthusiastic services of the very experienced Sharon who is very keen to continue this vitally important service long after I am unable to continue.

To take advantage of the Bailey & Down service call 01460 432745 or email [email protected] .uk 17 News from Taunton Racecourse By Wally Torrington Set in the heart of the Somerset countryside, and sited within our parish of Neroche, Taunton Racecourse is 's youngest jumps racecourse and stages around 15 race-meetings each season. Visitors enjoy national hunt racing, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport; but Taunton Racecourse is not just about racing, it boasts excellent facilities for conferences, meetings, parties and events. It is also the perfect venue for your wedding reception.

Report from the Chief Executive, Bob Young “As said many times before, we here, at Taunton Racecourse, consider ourselves to be extremely fortunate to reside in the picturesque area of Orchard Portman, and within the charming parish of Neroche. We pride ourselves in the close relationship we have established with residents across the parish, and are delighted to support local endeavours, including sponsorship of this excellent Newsletter.

Many local residents are members of the racecourse,and we are keen to encourage more to join, so please read on to learn more about us, and discover the excellent facilities and privileges to which our members are entitled. We start earlier than in recent years, as we now own the fixture in late-October / early-November, with our season extending to Wednesday,25 April.

We endured a stop/start sort of season in 2016/17. The loss of the

18 opening fixture in November, due to hard ground, was followed by the cancellation of the Saturday meeting in January to frost (but very frustratingly, being raceable only 24 hours later); however, we were somewhat compensated by the allocation of an additional BHA fixture the following Friday.

In case you aren’t aware, Taunton will be part of the Racecourse Media Group of racecourses from the start of this season, and so our racing will now be shown on ‘Racing UK’ as opposed to ‘At The Races’. As a result, because RUK is broadcast in HD, there has been considerable expense installing new fibre cabling around the course to accommodate this switch. This investment, we hope, will allow us to eventually add-on free WiFi for all, and to accept card payments at the entrances and around the various drink and food outlets at the racecourse.

Highlights of the season ahead include: a pre-festive meeting on December 14, with the King’s College Brass Band playing Christmas carols, and a few themed trade stands on site; the 30 December Christmas meeting, which falls on a Saturday this year; our other Saturday fixture in January; a Sunday meeting in February; an Easter holiday meeting in March; and a Ladies Day and evening meeting in April. With such a wide variety of offerings, we believe there will be something for everyone.

Here’s hoping for another exciting season ahead with some thrilling racing for us all to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you.

Bob Young

19 (continued on next page) Taunton Racecourse Owners’ Club Why not enjoy the thrill of racehorse ownership with Taunton Racecourse, visit your horse regularly, watch him run during your membership and enjoy the benefits of going racing as an owner?

Last year was hugely successful with Prince Mahler winning at our home track and we are excited to have him running for us again this year. The membership is limited to a maximum of 25 people, so a personal experience is guaranteed. The season's membership will run from November 2017 to April 2018 inclusive.

Owners’ Club membership includes: Regular stable visits; newsletters and dedicated area on the Taunton Racecourse website; frequent updates via email, video and telephone; a complimentary owners’ badge when the horse runs at Taunton; ballot-rights to owners and trainers badge when the club horse runs at other courses; opportunity to purchase owners and trainers tickets at a reduced rate if not successful in the ballot All for £499 (no further costs incurred).

For further information contact Martin Higgs on 07831 752056, email [email protected] or visit the racecourse website at http://www.tauntonracecourse.co.uk/racing/racecourse-owners-club

Membership Annual Membership at Taunton Racecourse, at £175 for the year, continues to provide tremendous value, with Ÿ a record equalling 59 reciprocal race meetings at 47 different courses throughout the country Ÿ free entry to Hickstead for their Derby meeting and the Royal International Horse Show Ÿ and a 2-for-1 ‘Saver Ticket’ for the Royal Bath & West Show. Full membership facilities apply to all these events.

For more information go to: http://www.tauntonracecourse.co.uk

20 21 continued on next page 22 23 update Cllr John Williams, member for Neroche, Leader of the Council

CDS Phase 2 Gigaclear Ultrafast Broadband Installation I reported in the last Newsletter the good news that Gigaclear had been appointed and I am pleased to say that rollout has commenced and 16 Somerset communities are scheduled to benefit from high speed broadband villages in or near Taunton Deane are: Ashill, Corfe, Blagdon Hill, Buckland St Mary and Bradford on Tone.

Work to lay new cables is due to start in November, initially providing almost 9,000 homes and businesses with access to the ultrafast network by February 2018. They are among the 21 in Somerset and Devon to be in the latest phase of connections in the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) broadband rollout. It is a key milestone for the local government-led broadband programme which has already provided 278,000 homes and businesses with superfast broadband access and overall a total of 320,000 with improved broadband access.

If not already done so, please do check the current position regarding the progress for installation to your home just by going on the “Gigaclear post code checker” website and register a no obligation interest. The more premises that register gives a greater incentive to install to an area.

Key facts on Taunton’s travel and transport The Borough Council and Somerset County have commissioned a long- term study of what the future may hold for transport and connectivity across the town. Surveys have been carried out to establish the base position of a number of key indicators which I thought may be of interest and I share with you as follows:

24 In 2011 Taunton’s workforce travelled to work as follows: 56% drove a car or van 19% walked double the national average 9% cycled three times the national average 6% travelled as a car or van passenger 3% travelled by bus, coach or train 7% used other modes or worked from home

Of all the Taunton working residents who travel to work: 72% travel to locations in the town 7% travel to locations elsewhere in the borough 21% travel to work outside the borough

Taunton is a key centre for education, generating substantial numbers of journeys during term-time Traffic reduces by 30%-40% on some key roads during school holidays – this shows the impact if everyone travelled by a different mode to the car one or two days a week

30% of trips to work in Taunton are less than 2km in distance. 30% are between 2km and 5km These distances could be cycled by many people if the conditions were right

82% of Taunton’s workforce who live outside the town drive to work, often living in places where there are limited alternatives to the car.

Taunton is a major employment centre. 19,700 employees commute in from elsewhere 8,300 residents commute out 25 continued on next page Most new homes are within 440 metres of a principal bus corridor 77,000 vehicles per average weekday travel on the M5 north of Taunton 64,000 vehicles per average weekday travel on the Toneway east of Creech Castle. One in 10 vehicles on the M5 and A358 at Henlade is a heavy goods vehicle. 3,200 car parking spaces serve the town centre, with additional spaces proposed at Firepool 540 car parking spaces serve the railway station 60 sets of traffic signals and signal crossings operate in the town to balance competing traffic flows at junctions and enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the busiest roads. The 65-plus age group is growing the fastest and the 75-plus age group will double by 2039. Free public wifi in the town centre enables residents, businesses and visitors to access instant travel information on the internet via their mobile phone. 5% of deaths in the borough are estimated to be caused by long-term exposure to man-made particulate air pollution. 44% of the borough’s carbon emissions are thought to come from transport sources.

On average, councils in the South West receive three times less public sector funding for transport per person than London.

This interesting set of facts confirms some issues we already know, for instance that traffic reduces considerably in school holiday times and that Taunton’s traffic is as bad as it is at peak times due to the number of motorists travelling very short journeys from home to work!

Also the volume of traffic along Toneway is very surprising, near M5 motorway levels, no wonder it is a top priority for the SCC Highways department for improvement!

As the Local Planning Authority we are very conscious of the need for adequate roads and infrastructure to cope with the planned growth and hopefully this forward-looking study, in course of preparation, will help us deliver improvements.

26 Carol singing around Neroche Villages

Saturday 23 December

Meet at Staple Farm

6.15pm prompt 6.30pm start

Enjoy Christmas Carols and songs with the company of friends and neighbours

For details contact Alison Brown on 01823 480441 or email [email protected] or Julie Pope on 01823 480282 email [email protected]

27 Pets Reunited By Wally Torrington

Since the Summer issue of the Newsletter was distributed, the Email Alert has been involved with three further cases of pets being lost/found.

Bo the Border Terrier On August 11 I was contacted by Naomi Wiltshire as her friend Gemma Smyth’s Border Terrier, Bo had gone missing “probably looking for rabbits”. Then Emma Milstead made contact with the added information that Bo was last seen near Neroche Hall. An Alert was sent out immediately.

In the early hours of the following morning I received an email from a relieved Gemma, which said “Thank you for sending out the Email Alert. Bo was found at around 1am this morning. Thank you again; it is such a brilliant idea to have this set-up. I can't thank everyone enough.”

Libby and Didi, two working Cocker Spaniels On August 16 I received an email from Phil Bent, son of Mike and Angie Bent who live at Arizona House, Capland, saying their working Cocker Spaniels, Libby and Didi had run away early that morning and hadn’t been seen since. An Alert was sent out immediately.

Phil emailed again the next day to say “I’ve just picked up the dogs, they were found on the outskirts of Ilton”. Later, Angie emailed “Many thanks for your help, the dogs were found at a building site exhausted after 36 hours of hunting. A young man who had come down from London to help his father for the weekend found them. Many thanks again in a very worrying time.”

28 I'm aware that some local residents, after reading about the missing dogs on the Alert, put it on Facebook, which no doubt added greatly to the coverage.

During this period Mike Bent was in hospital, which no doubt added to the stress levels. We hope you get well soon Mike!

‘Rufus’ the Cat On September 18 I received an email from Ann Bartlett, who lives at The Spinney in Curland, to say that a friendly black cat had been wandering around her property for the past few days. I was about to press the ‘send’ button on the Alert , when I received another email, this time from Ben and Becky of The Barn, Crosses Farm, Curland, reporting the loss of their black cat Rufus. I was able to put Ben and Becky in touch with Ann, and Rufus was returned home safely.

In a follow-up thank-you note from Ben, he said: “Rufus followed us up the lane at the weekend when we went for a walk, and I'm assuming he fancied a holiday. As we've just had a baby boy, I think he may have had enough of the crying!” Congratulations on the new arrival!

Neroche Pet Register In the Summer Newsletter I floated the idea of setting-up a Neroche Pets Register. I have had two volunteers come forward so far; if you would like to join the team (a group of four would be good) then please contact me on [email protected]

29 Holiday accommodation at Dairy House Farm by Jacqueline Wanstall

Mark and Mary Palmer moved to Dairy House Farm in Bickenhall, from Salisbury, in February 2015

Since settling into Somerset, they have spent the last two years renovating their new home, to enable them to use part of the property as a holiday letting business. After a huge amount of hard work and sleepless nights, they have now completed the project, and the end result is really very impressive.

The couple were thrilled when the letting agency came to visit them and awarded them four stars, and when you look around, you can certainly see why. They have done an amazing job transforming the house, with crisp clean decoration and high-end furnishing. The place looks beautiful.

Mark and Mary have just started to welcome their first guests into their wonderful cottage, and they are already have bookings right up until Christmas.

If you have friends or family coming to visit, and don’t have enough space for them, do check out Dairy House Farm on www.cottages.com

30 Christmas wreath-making workshop

in aid of St Peter’s Flower and Music Festival

Led by Angie Blackwell of Cottage Flowers of Ilminster

Saturday 2 December

9.30am for 10am start. Finishes at noon. Tea/coffee and mince pies on arrival. £25 per person to include all materials. Limited places, please book at [email protected] or phone 01824 480474.

For the latest on the Flower and Music Festival turn to Page 53,

31 Neroche Parish Council News By Gillian Midworth, Clerk Highway matters The Council has received the latest Speed Indicator Device (SID) report taken between September 25 and October 9. The location of the SID was moved from its previous position near the polo ground as this was deemed to be too close to the bend. The new position (adjacent to 191 Thurlbear Rd) is more representative and provides a ‘speed reminder’ before the properties. The median speed for September was calculated at 43mph which is 3mph above the posted speed limit of 40mph. For October the median speed was calculated at 42mph. The 85%ile speed for both months was calculated as 49mph which is 2mph above the intervention limit speed of 47mph. The speeds mentioned are the approach speeds of vehicles as recorded by the device and do not reflect the ‘adjusted’ speeds which the motorists may switch to on being ‘reminded’ of the posted speed limit by the device. This means the speeds mentioned are probably an accurate reflection of the speeds normally experienced at this location. There is normally an average reduction in speed between the approach speed and adjusted speed of approximately 4-5mph. The intervention limit is the speed, (under the current policy), at which a location is deemed to have a speeding issue. The 85 percentile speed is the speed, at which 85% of all vehicles are travelling either at or below, (with the remaining 15% travelling at a higher speed). Grant and Funding Opportunities As many parishioners are involved in various community and charitable organisations, I would like to draw your attention to the weekly bulletin issued by TDBC which can be found here: www.tauntondeane.gov.uk. In addition to a weekly round up of events and activities there is always information on grant and funding opportunities, often highlighting less well known charitable trusts.

31 The Trust is looking for local volunteers to help check stock fencing around the grazing units in the Neroche Forest area. These sites are managed by the Blackdown Hills Trust on behalf of the Forestry Commission: they are a magnet for rare butterflies such as Wood White and Duke of Burgundy and an array of plants, insects, birds and mammals. The areas are part of Higher Level Stewardship Agreements and are grazed by English Longhorn cattle in the summer months.

What will the volunteer role involve? The role will involve walking the stock fence twice a year during the spring and autumn in the grazing compartments to check for any rotten posts or damage to the wire, and reporting back to the Trust. There may also be opportunities to get involved in practical conservation work, for example clearing conifer re-growth to allow native flora to thrive.

Full training will be provided for the role, including maps of the sites, appropriate contact information and information on what to look out for.

Interested? Contact John Greenshields on 01823 660764 or [email protected]

The Blackdown Hills Trust is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England no. 07181053. Registered Charity no. 1138327. Registered Office: c/o Park Farm, Wellington Somerset

32 Farming calendar By Mark Pope Harvest was finally completed here on 29 September when we finished our spring barley with the help of two neighbours’ combines.

We started harvesting back on 15 July cutting oil seed rape. This year has been the longest harvest we have had, due to a distinct lack of sunshine from late July onwards until October.

We can only harvest the crops when they are at a certain moisture content. To sell the wheat it must be no higher than 15% moisture. This year very little of our crop was at that moisture, some we had to cut was up to 19% moisture. This involves an extra cost to us involving drying the crops.

The large building we have at Staple Farm is our grain store. In here we have the ability to dry the crops by blowing dry air up through the crop. Also in some years we will need to cool the grain down to avoid it being infested in bugs.

As far as planting next year’s harvest, this has been a slower than normal time. I am currently looking at the warm sunshine and hoping it will continue for another couple of weeks to enable us to finish planting our autumn crops.

I always feel a lot happier when I start to see the fields turn green with the emergence of the new crop. The trouble is making sure the slugs don’t eat it all. The crops are very vulnerable until they get to four true leaves. What we don’t want is cool damp nights and dull damp days with very little wind.

Soon we will start our hedge cutting campaign. We aim to cut half the hedges on the farm each year. This gives the wildlife a mixture of habitats, for shelter and as food sources. All being well we should have finished by Christmas if the weather is kind to us. We also aim to leave

34 a range of different heights with the grass margins, some providing shelter and food others providing areas for the birds to dry off.

We are also just starting to make our plans for this year’s Christmas tree cutting season. We currently have three plantations with varying sized trees in them and we are already receiving orders for large Christmas trees for schools and churches.

We will have cut trees in the farmyard from 1 December. And on Sunday 3 December, we will again be holding our come and choose your own tree day. Pick Your Own Christmas Tree Staple Farm, Staple Fitzpaine, TA3 5BE

Sunday 3 December 2017 10am to 3pm

Stroll through the plantation with your family, select a Christmas tree, then it will be cut for you while-you-wait; what could be fresher? You can then take it home immediately or, for a small charge, have it delivered during the following week. The freshest tree you will ever buy.

All the family and dogs-on-leads welcome. Mince pies, other small eats and warm drinks available all day (Don’t Forget Your Wellies!)

Ready cut trees also available on the day, and throughout December

35 Neroche MP’s briefing By Rebecca Pow MP

Whatever the challenges of politics both locally and in Westminster, one of the best ways of refreshing the batteries is to get out into our stunning countryside.

With the Blackdown Hills on our doorstep we are spoilt and there is a wealth of walks, both short and long to be enjoyed. Armed with the excellent AONB footpath brochure I picked up, my husband and I recently enjoyed walking the circuit radiating around church and Otterford Lakes. It was a glorious uplifting and peaceful foray and only a stone’s throw from Taunton.

I have been raising the power of nature and the use that can be made of the great outdoors across departments in Parliament, calling for GPs to harness green prescriptions in their armoury of treatments for mental health issues (they are commonly used in New Zealand with good effect) and more activities such as gardening to be worked into programmes for the unemployed and speaking to the Justice Department about projects for those on remand.

Not only is the engagement with nature and the physical exercise beneficial useful skills can also be learned which can be helpful in getting back into the working world. These is good evidence to back up these examples. The Somerset Wildlife Trust has run a successful partnership in association with Taunton Association for the Homeless bringing together people experiencing homelessness and isolation to work on a community wildlife garden in Taunton. It has enabled them to connect with wildlife, get advice, socialise and generally add to their well-being. Both the National Gardens Scheme organisation and the charity MIND have reported on similar outcomes and both advocate the benefits of this kind of eco-therapy.

35 I was honoured to be invited to be given a platform to talk about my environmental work locally and in Westminster, on the main stage at the party Conference just before the PM spoke.

I’ve been involved in many areas that are starting to bear fruit with really positive announcements from the Government, via the Department of Environment, Food, Farming and Rural Affairs.

Tougher sentences are being introduced for cases of animal cruelty. This was a recommendation from the Defra Select Committee animal welfare inquiry I was involved with. Now, heinous abuse exacted on animals could attract a 5-year sentence as opposed to the puny 6- month sentences currently available. This brings us in line with many other countries. It’s also significant because those who abuse animals often go on to abuse their fellow humans, so this needs to be taken much more seriously.

Whilst we aren’t fortunate enough to have any elephants roaming around the Blackdowns or the Quantocks, the proposals to introduce a total ban on UK sales of ivory to help end the horrific poaching of elephants, which is putting one of the world’s most iconic species at risk of extinction, has huge support from locals. Working with groups calling for this action I’ve spoken on this issue many times in Parliament. The measures, by the way, will not affect the right to own, gift, inherit or bequeath items containing ivory.

With the protection of ancient woodland and trees and soils being given more attention together with plastic recycling and a ban on plastic micro beads in cosmetics and care products coming in, there is plenty of good environmental policy on the cards and I’d proud to be part of it. That’s not to say there isn’t more to do.

I’ve recently launched a publication in conjunction with the Conservative Environment Network calling for a more holistic 36 continued on next page approach, across departments, to environmental policy and I’m pleased to say it has been well received and has certainly got people talking.

Taunton and Wellington and its environs are always at the forefront of my endeavours in Parliament, engaging with relevant departments to represent our interests as appropriate. The successful allocation of a further £375,000 towards the Garden Town in Taunton is welcome and will be channelled into the planning that is going into this scheme. It is essential that the right infrastructure, green spaces, cycle ways and facilities are put in place if increased housing is to work effectively and the Garden Town project should help facilitate this.

The A358 upgrade has been all engrossing as we have progressed through the initial consultation with all the issues this has highlighted. I have worked hard at Government level to make the case for a second consultation phase for the route between and Junction 25 on the M5 as the one proposal put forward by Highways England in the initial consultation seemed highly inappropriate.

I am pleased that Highways England has listened and a second consultation is being offered. It is essential that this road upgrade delivers for local people and Taunton itself whilst at the same time achieving the national aims as a strategic route that will speed up traffic flow from east to west linking to the M5. I have pressed for

37 connectivity to the Nexus employment site, the motorway junction and Taunton itself to be taken into account as well as the need to protection our precious habitats and best farmland.

Despite much good work by many local people including our Monument Champions, the National Trust bid for crucial funds to enable the full restoration programme for the Wellington Monument, was turned down by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the second time.

I’m working with the Trust to forge a way forward, but in the meantime the 200th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone is about to be celebrated as I write.

This is such a revered local icon, an important architectural structure being the tallest three sided monument in Europe, as well as being a significant beacon signalling the gateway to the South West that I do hope a way can be found to preserve it effectively for future generations.

My second Older Generations Fair was, I am delighted to say, a great success. With the theme of health and wellbeing, the idea was to raise awareness of the plethora of activities, hobbies, services, volunteering opportunities and much more besides which are available across Taunton Deane as we get older.

The fitter we can remain the better for us individually but also for our hard-pressed medical services especially in areas like Somerset where we have a predominantly elderly population. Men in Sheds and the Rivertones went down a storm!

As ever, do not hesitate if there is anything my staff or I can help you with.

38 Business Focus - AA Falconry By Jacq Wanstall

In our series which puts the spotlight on local enterprises, Jacq Wanstall talks to Clare Canape about the family falconry business.

Clare, and her husband Angelo, have lived in Staple Fitzpaine for 23 years. In 1990 they set up AA Falconry and are now one of the well known breeders in Europe. I had a sit down with Clare to find out more about this fascinating industry and their very busy working lives.

What got you into this business? My husband Angelo has kept birds of prey for over 30 years and has always had an interest in them. What started out as a hobby then became our business. He moved over to the UK from Italy 30 years ago, with only five birds, and this has steadily increased over the years.

What does your business do? There are three main areas to our business: bird control, breeding and rehabilitation.

The bird control is a green way of controlling pest birds and our clients are as varied as Hinkley Point, landfill sites, county councils and two power stations in the north of Italy. An example of the kind of work we undertake is taking our team of trained birds to Williton in West Somerset where the council had a problem with seagulls on their roof. Our birds fly around and act as a deterrent to scare the seagulls away, preventing them

40 from roosting, nesting and laying eggs. Breeding birds of prey is a large part of our business too, incorporating the full cycle from insemination through to hand rearing. Spring is a very busy time for us, with our female birds hatching between four to six eggs a year.

Generally the eggs take 30 days to hatch, and we use a combination of incubators and natural incubation. Once the babies have been born, we then hand-rear them until they are seven days old, and then they are put back with parent birds. This is a very intensive time of feeding - up to five times a day. The majority of our birds are then sold to the Middle East or Europe.

Rehabilitation is the third area of our business. We work closely with RSPCA West Hatch, so if they get an injured bird brought in, we will help rehabilitate them, until they are fit enough to be let back out into the wild.

What's the best and worst thing about your job? The best aspect is that our time is spilt between living here and in Italy, and living in Neroche is simply stunning.

The worst aspect is the intensive period of time when breeding takes place from March to the end of July. At this time the hours are long, and we have missed many a family event, due to our work commitments.

What do you do to relax? As with most people who run their own business, we do not have a lot of downtime! We do enjoying walking our dogs in the wonderful countryside we live in.

Find out more about Clare and Angelo’s business at www.aafalconry.co.uk 41 A Word from A Dreamer by Tami Boden-Ellis

Stories were something I grew up with and stories I have always told, (some more successful than others). I also grew up with very optimistic parents and in a time when women with their views and feelings were just really starting to publicly surface. I was brought up with the likes of Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Georgia O’Keefe, all of whom had a big impact on me.

But fast forward to today and see that it took a chance encounter with a female comedian and getting to know one small child, to make me “get on with one of my dreams”. I learned from Francesca Martinez that sometimes if you think out of the box, the gift one is given can possibly be used to enable something else we feel we are inadequate to do something about, no matter how much we feel that “thing” needs addressing.

I tell stories. I write stories. And thanks to Francesca, who showed me how to use one’s gifts in an unconventional way, I now hope to use one of my stories as a messenger. It is to a bring to the surface an awareness of something I strongly feel needs to be more fully addressed.

Children are our future and they need every possible opportunity to develop to their fullest potential, at home, in the school they attend, and even in the workplace. But we are all individuals with individual needs and it turns out a huge percentage of our children have a Sensory Processing Disorder (previously known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction), both diagnosed and otherwise. We need to understand “SPD” in order to help people who have this disorder. We need to know how to cope with those who have it and help those with it to learn to cope with their disorder.

SPD is “the inability to use information received through the senses in order to function smoothly in daily life. It is not one specific disorder, … but a big umbrella that covers a variety of neurological disabilities”.

42 It includes such things Tami Boden- as autism, Asperger, Ellis, author of ADHD, dyslexia, “No Way?!” dyspraxia. How Pickles Became the These “out-of-sync” Christmas children and young Gherkin people, whose central nervous systems misinterpret messages from their senses, need to be more fully addressed and can be!

And Pickles hopes to help. Pickles’ story reaches out to the young at heart and itself has a message(s). But, as I said, it is a messenger too. This little book hopes to do three things -perhaps a tall order for a Polish gherkin, but he’s a big dreamer.

The story is to be enjoyed and is one I have wanted to write for over 15 years. The end of the book is to help raise awareness of the number of young people living with SPD. Money raised from sales of the book i s going towards doing something about aiding people with SPD – “custom designed (public) outdoor play equipment for public spaces – (to be used by all)”. And it would be lovely to think it all started here … in Neroche Parish – and remember, always Dream Big, People, Dream Big!

“The best and the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” H Keller LOCAL FAMILIES ENJOY FREE EVENT AT 43 Forestry focus By Rob Greenhalgh, Community Ranger

Families recently enjoyed a free Family day at Castle Neroche, hosted by the Forestry Commission in partnership with Blackdown Hills Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) and Somerset Council.

The AONB organised a minibus to bring some families from Taunton who had not visited the area before and did not have access to their own vehicles, to enjoy an array of fun family activities and learn more about nature. A range of volunteers and staff was on hand to run a variety of fun activities.

Some families helped the Forestry Commission scatter wild flower and grass seed at the base of the scheduled ancient monument that has recently been clear felled. This is part of a project supported by Historic England to improve the Iron Age hill fort of Castle Neroche, an iconic landmark in the local area.

Kristen Lambert from the AONB’s Nature and Wellbeing Project said: “The feedback from families has been fantastic – having the time and space to connect with local natural environments and explore with support of the Forestry Commission and Blackdown Hills team, if needed, seemed to be really important to families and many have asked if we can do this again at different locations across the Blackdown Hills.”

44 Jon Burgess, A Forester’s insight… One of the great things about a living and working in the countryside is the close connection with the seasons that you can get and you can really feel the seasons roll round. Also being close to nature you get to witness some of the peculiarities first hand. One such thing is an event known as a mast year where some trees will produce an amazing abundance of seed. Oak trees fall into this category and this year is turning out to be one where the oaks have produced a bumper crop of acorns. This seems to be an evolutionary trick so that the predators of the plump acorns will have more food than they can possibly eat, leaving some to germinate and grow into seedlings. As Foresters we look forward to such events and try to time our work around such things, we can give nature a helping hand to regenerate the forests and giving light to the seedlings when they need it most. We now have a short window of time to open some gaps in the canopy to allow light to the seedling that will emerge next spring but would never survive in the shade of a woodlands closed canopy. We will have to wait about five years to know if our efforts are successful. One area that I have great hopes for is a little visited part of Thurlbear Wood. The time has been right to remove some of the largest trees to make room for the next generation. Whilst I am fully aware that some people see such large trees and think it is a shame to fell them but I would remind them that this was planted as a crop 120 years ago intended exactly for the trees to be harvested at this time. For those who think the pace of modern life is getting too rapid I would advise them to think about a career in forestry!

45 The Fall Gavin, Jenny and the team at Neroche Woodlanders

The great variety of autumn colours amongst the forest trees are at their best – or past their best, if there have been more leaf-stripping gales by the time you read this.

It’s amazing to think that all the pigments that make up the wonderful colours of tree leaves are there, in the leaves, right through the summer – it just takes the cooler days and reducing daylight to cause the chlorophyll to dissolve away, and suddenly all those oranges, yellows, reds and browns are exposed.

We’ve been especially struck (pun intended) by the quantity of acorns this autumn – our oaks have been loaded, and throughout October, whenever a breeze ruffled their branches, a little shower of projectiles banged and bounced their way to the ground, often ricocheting off the wooden roofs of our outdoor kitchen and woodshed. Amazingly, no one got hit on the head.

We’ve made use of at least part of the bounty – planting some in pots to bring on some future oak saplings, drying some to grind and experiment with making acorn flower, and boiling some up to use in cloth dyeing activities – great fun!

The autumn is the time when we get busy on the beginning of the season’s woodland management work, and we’ve already got going with some hazel coppicing, which will be followed by harvesting of a range of carefully selected other trees through the course of the winter, some for firewood, some to make charcoal in due course, and some for construction purposes on site. We’re just beginning our latest build project, to create a wood-framed and clad insulated indoor space and secure storage facility, to improve our ability to carry on activities year-round. 46 Meanwhile, following some further explorations for moths, fungi and other creatures at Young Wood, as part of our ‘Meet the Neighbours’ project, our overall ‘haul’ of named species that we know to be living in just our 100 acres has grown to nearly 500. And those who know about these matters, confidently assure us that the total number of all living creatures waiting to be discovered that is likely to be three times that, or more.

Our latest ‘Wild Learning’ programme has started again, bringing small groups of adults from Taunton out to Young Wood to learn new skills, work together and enjoy the peace of the forest. We’re benefiting in this once again from a close working arrangement with Taunton Association for the Homeless, and we have also been grateful for sponsorship support for our work with TAH, from local business, Claims Consortium.

We also had fun at Halloween, offering a non-plasticky, all-natural experience of seasonal spookiness to children and their families. We had a Green Wood Crafts course for adults on 18 November (see www.youngwood.org.uk/courses for details), and we are cooking up plans for more family-oriented activities in the coming months.

As ever, anyone is welcome to join us on volunteer days at Young Wood, on the fourth Wednesday of the month. We also run volunteer days on local nature reserves on the second and third Wednesdays. Take a look at www.ncv.org.uk for details.

You can support Woodlanders’ work by becoming a shareholder member – see www.youngwood.org.uk for details.

47 What the Victorian Censuses Did For Us by Jane Hole, Chair, Neroche Local History Group

Little did the early developers of population censuses realise what a gift they were giving to many of us a century or more later. Anyone with an interest in social history, family history or the history of their house will find researching the censuses a potential goldmine of information.

From the Domesday Book onwards, monarchs and governments have been interested in finding out about the population for a variety of reasons. In the 1750' there was concern the rise of commerce and political "jobbery" had led to a general moral and sexual debauchery that was causing a population decline.

A Parliamentary Bill was introduced 'for taking and registering an annual account of the total number of people, of marriages, births, and burials; and the total number of the poor receiving alms in every parish and extra parochial place in Great Britain'. It had several purposes:

Ÿ To secure reliable records for evidence of descent Ÿ Population levels, births and deaths would help in drawing up actuarial life tables for insurance and friendly societies for the relief of poverty Ÿ It would allow for the calculation of the maximum size of an army that could be raised in times of need Ÿ It would provide evidence as to the desirability of emigration to the colonies and show the burden of the Poor Law on the country.

This particular Bill ran out of parliamentary time, but its influence on subsequent bills would be powerful. The first Census Act passed in 1800 was mainly to count the population. For the next 30 years several changes and ad hoc additions to the form were made.

Finally by 1836 The Registrar Generals Office (GRO) was established. Their first task was to maintain a central register of births, marriages and deaths, mainly to protect property rights through recording lines of descent. Then the whole country was divided into registration districts

48 and sub-districts and the GRO began to collect data for actuarial and public health purposes.

The first decennial census of 1841 was based on the ancient counties and their traditional administrative units and is hard to decipher. But from the 1851 census onwards current day researchers can sift through an enormous amount of information.

A local example from the 1851 Staple Fitzpaine census gives us a snapshot of Joseph Crabb and his family. Joseph was a man of some status in that he was an enumerator (or collector) who was charged with distributing and collecting the census forms.

We can see Joseph is literate from his signature certifying the census contents, and he had to be numerate in order to count the forms.

The Description of Enumeration District gives us “Joseph Crabb yeoman” which means he was “a countryman of respectable standing”.

An extract from the Staple Fitzpaine census shows us Joseph was 44 years old, married to Lucy aged 43, lived at Staple Park, had seven children aged from four to 23, farmed 130 acres, employed 12 farm labourers, two farm servants and one house servant.

Game of Thrones : Henry VII and the Perkin Warbeck Rebellion The inimitable Tom Mayberry gives a fascinating talk at the Neroche Local History Group event on November 23 , 7.30pm at Neroche Hall. Non-members welcome, £2.50.

49 News from Bickenhall and District WI by Jacqueline Kolkowski

Our September meeting was quite different as members and guests visited Farm2Fork at Greenway Farm, Dowlish Ford just outside Iiminster.

We were met by farmer Oliver White who explained his method of farming on the 125 acres of permanent pasture and herbal leys. The farm is home to naturally reared 100% grass-fed beef, lamb and free- range pasture-raised poultry. His animals graze as they would have done naturally in the wild using 'Holistic Planned Grazing’.

They spend all year outside in the meadows, moving on to new meadows while the rest of the meadows grow lush and plentiful. The farm is part of an environmental stewardship scheme which focuses on conserving and restoring wild life habitats. No pesticides, fungicides or inorganic fertilisers are used on the farm.

We had a tour of the farm to see the sheep, various breeds of cattle, the last batch of this year’s chickens and the stars of the farm - the wonderful geese. The livestock were very docile and friendly due to the daily contact with humans when they are being moved to new meadows.

Oliver is very passionate about his way of farming, the welfare of his animals and caring for the environment. 50 We ended with a meeting in the barn but Tricia struggled to get our attention because as the sun set, the geese came flocking into the barn to bed down for the night. What a noise and what a sight! If you would like to find out about Farm2Fork visit www.farm2fork.co.uk.

In September we welcomed Emma McDaid with a talk entitled Jobs for the Boys. Emma is a constructural engineer and she is currently working as a construction delivery lead at Hinkley Point C. She works on the main civils programme and is responsible for the delivery and establishment of enabling compounds. That includes the build of concrete production plants, tower cranes, workshops, networks and offices/welfare. She manages a large team however her choice of career still surprises people. Emma explained she does not know why as her job involves good communication, organisation skills, management of resources and problem-solving, like many management jobs out there!

In talking about her role Emma hopes to break down some of the misconception that goes with it. More importantly, Emma hopes to convey how important it is for us in our communities and society to encourage girls and young women if they show an interest in science and engineering careers, so they can take the advantage of the opportunities that are available.

It was a very informative and inspirational talk.

SOMERSET FEDERATION EVENTS We attended a very lighthearted talk given by Professor Jane Crozier at Edgar Hall Somerton, on the works of and life of Jane Austen. It was made even more enjoyable by the scrumptious tea that followed.

An Autumn Craft Day was held at Village Hall when we tried various crafts such as patchwork, box decorating, making a 51 continued on next page shopping bag and a novel bunting design. There was also a craft bring and buy sale, and free wool was given out for knitting Twiddle Muffs. Those who went thought it a very good and productive day.

A close shave in the skittles alley Yes, it’s that time again - Skittles are back! We played the first round of the knock-out league against Ilminster WI at the Hatch Inn, a strange alley but very welcoming pub. The Ilminster team said they were not a confident side - fibbers, they won the first round by 7 pins!

Things looked bleak for us but gradually we started to play better on this wonky alley and in the last round we needed 4 pins to win from our last player - Wyn - which she did so we won by 1 pin. Excellent refreshments were provided by the Hatch Inn. So bring on West Buckland Ladies in the next round - you should be worried ladies...

Bickenhall and District WI meets the second Wednesday of each month and would be delighted to welcome new members Please contact Tricia Dryden at [email protected]

Bickenhall and District WI Clothes Swap Party

December 13 7.30pm

For one night only Neroche Parish Hall becomes a chic boutique!

Bring your unwanted new and nearly new garments, receive a token for each item and spend them on something new to you!

Enjoy fizz and nibbles, coffee and conversation and swap those sales bargain mistakes and special occasion outfits never worn again for something new.

Donate on the night or drop them off with Tricia Dryden or Pauline Phelps 52 Flower and Music Festival Progress By Katherine Michaels

By the time you start reading this article there will be only six months to go until St Peter’s welcomes its first visitors to the festival; three days of beautiful floral displays, fun and uplifting music and delicious food from the café (generously run by Bickenhall and District WI).

Fundraising continues at pace. The first £1,000 has been raised and will cover the flower costs. Thank you to all of you who have supported the fundraising so far and we look forward to seeing you at the forthcoming events, as advertised.

We are delighted by the response of the professional and amateur florists alike who have offered their time and creativity to decorate St Peter’s. Virtually all spaces are now filled. The church promises to look spectacular with a glorious scent to match!

Tickets are now available for the evening concerts. We have an “early bird” combination ticket available up until March 1 for the cost of £20 for adults, £18 students. Individual concert ticket prices available on request.

As for the informal free music during the days of the festival, we have confirmed bookings from Thurlbear School Choir, Neroche Handbell Ringers, Isle Abbots Community Choir, Beacon (@Musgrove Park Hospital) Choir, St Peter’s Singers and Badger Street Band. There are

53 continued on next page still spaces available so please get in touch if you would like to perform.

We are hosting a sponsors’ evening on Thursday, January 18 to thank our sponsors and seek further sponsorship from local businesses.

Letters of invitation will be sent shortly but please do not hesitate to make contact if you would be interested in becoming a sponsor. We have just launched our marketing through social media and have written to/emailed flower arranging societies, WIs, Mothers’ Unions, gardening clubs and residential homes across Somerset. Our logo and tickets have generously been designed and printed by Bradleys estate agents, our first gold sponsor!

It is really exciting to see everything come together and the success of the festival will reflect a huge team effort and great community spirit.

Thank you for all your support and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to take part, be it floristry, music, baking, stewarding etc. Katherine Michaels and Jacqueline Kolkowski, festival organisers [email protected]

54 55 “Oh, you should write a book” By Sara Llewellyn These are the words I heard so often from friends and colleagues who eagerly listened to the answers of their inevitable Monday morning question.

“Did you have a good weekend Sara? What did you get up to?” Apparently, compared to their sedentary weekends, my adventures were something to look forward to hearing, and worth asking, about!

So most Monday mornings, before I could even get to my desk in the staff room of the college where I worked as a lecturer, I would find myself surrounded. “Well, come on what happened this weekend?”...

So, move on a good few years and here I am - retired from my varied and exciting career in teaching and looking for another outlet for my creativity and the need to keep the next generation interested in books.

I started my teaching career in a small primary school in Dagenham then went on to teach in a variety of schools becoming a deputy head in a large, state run nursery school in Newbury.

Due to our young son’s problems with asthma, we found ourselves settling into our ‘ideal’, clean-air environment in the Blackdown Hills, a small cottage with our own piece of land and the opportunity to keep my horse at home. The trouble was, it didn’t stop with the horse. Each creature that crossed our threshold, wild or domestic, has touched our lives in many ways and provided us with amazing

56 memories and some spectacular adventures. Horses, goats, geese, sheep, pigs, cows, alpacas, cats, dogs, oh and the doves – Oh yes, the poor doves. Hubby had taken such great care in moving them down here in the back of his car – after a couple of weeks in their new home, they managed to end up inside the cat!

So, I did it, I wrote a book. Well several actually, a children’s series based on some of the hundreds of adventures that we have experienced, with the many animals that we took in and provided a home for.

Having written the stories I required an illustrator. This is when I turned to my husband, Norman. A frustrated artist, in that having spent most of his youth drawing amazing caricatures, was never encouraged to go to art college. Guidance, from his parents and others at the time was, “Best to get a proper job”, so he did.

A career in the construction industry provided us with a home and the means to keep our little menagerie. He didn’t stop drawing but he never found an outlet to develop his talent until now. He is so excited about this new phase in his artistic development.

Priced £6.99, our hope is that our stories will provide, humour, fun and interest to young children, their parents and grandparents for those very special, cosy, bonding times when stories are read and shared.

My time as an Early Years Teacher has shown me the importance of ‘the book’ in all our lives. Forget the tablet or a Kindle - a book with real pages, pages that stimulate the senses, the touch of the paper, the smell of the print, the excitement of the expectation of the next page, the sound of the reader relaying the story, this really is a precious time in our lives, as reader or listener and at any age.

‘Alpaca Alan’ has his own website www.alanthealpaca.co.uk and can also be found on Facebook - Alan the Alpaca

57 Email Alert Parish Notices

If you wish to be kept informed of all that is happening in the community (including: crime alerts; road closures; community activities; local events; important meetings) then why not add your email address to the 280 plus individuals that have already signed-up to the service.

Your details will be kept secure, as all Email Alerts use the BCC address system so that nobody sees the full list.

If you are not on the list, then you are missing-out on ‘up-to-the-minute’ information on all that is important and happening in the immediate area in which you live.

To join, send an email to: [email protected] with the message “please add me to the list”. We look forward to you becoming a fully-informed Neroche resident.

School Holidays Schools break up for Christmas on Thursday, December 21 and return on Monday January 8.

Household Recycling & Refuse Collections Refuse and recycling will be collected on FRIDAY DECEMBER 29 Recycling only on THURSDAY JANUARY 4

To check colletion dates, go towww1.tauntondeane.gov.uk/tdbcsites/waste/pdf/ WednesdayB.pdf

58 Events for your calendar

November 23 Neroche Local History Group talk - see page 49 24 Film Night - Hampstead see page 9

December 1 Supper and quiz night in aid of St Peter’s Flower Festival - see page 54 2 Christmas wreath-making workshop n aid of St Peter’s Flower Festival - see page 31 3 Pick Your Own Tree at Staple Farm - see page 35 13 Clothes Swap Party, Women’s Institute, Neroche Hall - see page 52 20 Christmas Celebration of Carols -St Peter’s Church, - see page 31 23 Carol singing around Neroche - see page 27 25 Christmas Day service at St Peter’s - see page 31 31 New Year’s Eve party, Neroche Hall - see page 55

Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year from the Neroche Newsletter team to all our readers - and thank you to all our wonderful contributors

59 Local Communication and Information Websites: Neroche Villages www.nerochevillages.org.uk Community website run by the Neroche Communication Action Group. It has an up-to-date calendar of events; a news section; information about residents’ action groups, including broadband, traffic; a business section and advertisements. The website features a comprehensive list of clubs and organisations, including details of those in neighbouring parishes. It is also the website of Neroche Parish Council and lists its activities, agenda, minutes and reports.

Neroche Hall www.nerochehall.org.uk It lists the coming events, facilities and availability for hire of our village hall, and has an online booking form.

Church of England Seven Sowers Benefice www.sevensowers.org.uk This website has a calendar of events and church service times for Staple Fitzpaine and Orchard Portman churches, as well as other churches in the benefice.

Email Information: The Neroche Communication Action Group runs an Email Alert System for sending information to those wishing to receive it. It forwards information of a general nature about local events and issues - please contact Wally Torrington at [email protected] if you would like your name added.

The Parish Magazine: Full information on benefice matters, a great source of news, coming events and general information, and details of many local businesses and services. For new subscriptions phone Kate Reynolds on 01823 444023.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this Newsletter. The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent those of the editor or the Neroche Communication Action Group. Publication of an advertisement in, or with, the newsletter does not imply the Action Group’s approval of the goods or services.

Newsletter coordinator: Jacq Wanstall [email protected] Official Photographers: David and Madeleine Spears [email protected]

Printed by ‘Parish Magazine Printing’ - 01288 341617 60