2

Travellers Rest Stone, East Pennard (on the A37) 

01749 860069   

OPEN ALL DAY from 12.00 noon 

  

Traditional pub food Tea / Coffee Sunday Roast 

Quiz Nights/Skittles/Pool/Darts B & B en‐suite rooms 

  

www.travellersrest.org.uk 

Higher Farm, Sutton, Nr Ditcheat,

Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QF

Opening hours Mon-Sat: 7.30am to 6.30pm

For

Tool Hire &

Repairs.

Tel 01749 860199: Mobile 07771632221

How To Find Us Turn off the A371 Castle Cary to Shepton Mallet road,

between Moff Motors and The Brook House Inn, and then take the first turning left to Sutton. Follow this road until

you see our signs on the right, and then turn right. Hope to see you soon!

GENERAL HOUSEHOLD & GARDEN

MAINTENANCE inc. HEDGE TRIMMING

& LAWN MOWING FENCING, REMOVALS

& DELIVERIES (TRANSIT VAN)

DON’T DELAY, - RING TODAY ALISTAIR GILLARD – (01749) 347331

Mobile – 07977 054036 email: gillardalistair66@gmail.com

3

The Editor’s Letter

Begging letters are amongst my least favourite forms of communication but this month I am tasked with helping to ensure the future of this august rag by asking you to take notice of the brown envelope attached to this issue and using it to make a donation to keep the Fosse Trinity News free and available to all within the Benefice. It costs £1 an issue to produce and you get 10 issues a year delivered to your door. Advertisers provide some support but I leave you to do the maths and hope you will want to make a contribution if you are able. More specific details on where to return the envelope and other ways to donate are given on P12. And now I’ve started, I may as well go for broke; you could help support the local primary school in Ditcheat by going to the Thai dinner and quiz night on 20th April or get involved with the Ditcheat Open Gardens event in aid of the Village Hall and Haddon Wood (P25). If you are absolutely skint then do your bit by simply going out there, smiling at someone and wishing them a good day. It all counts as community action! Happy Easter and may your celebrations or contemplations, whatever form they take, have only positive results for you and the World.

Margy Cockburn Tim Sanders

This Month Advertisers Index 58 Alhampton News 5 Baby & Toddlers 7 British Legion 32 Church Services 30 Defibrillator VETS 40 Diary dates 4 Directory 56 Ditcheat Big Screen 14 Ditcheat Ch. Rota 54 Ditcheat Gardens 20 Ditcheat Litter 40 Ditcheat PC Notes 46 Ditcheat Pylle Singers 51 Ditcheat School 8 Ditcheat Weather 24 EP Church Rota 54 EP Village Hall 22 Evening with Eliot 17 Foul Play 20 FTN Funding 12 Gardening 16 Gardening Club 17 Great Weston Ride 36 Hadden Wood AGM 25 Home Repairs 22 Men's Breakfast 7 Mothers' Union 6 Natural World 26 One Hundred Club 5 Pylle News 38 Quiz and Thai Buffet 7 Rector's Note 31 Rendezvous 55 SM Almshouses 39 SM Market 52 Somerset Libraries 22 St Margaret's Hospice 15 Sudoku 10 Theatre Trip 42 U3A 9 Village Lunch 55 Wildlife Group Update 34

4

Dates for your Diary

Regular Events Weekly Monthly

Mon

Pilates (9.00) Baby and Toddler (10.00-11.30) Tai Chi for Health (10.30) Ditcheat Badminton Club (8.30) Ditcheat and Pylle Singers (7.00)

Linda 860067 Sally 860304 Richard 880308 James 860355 Di 07831 289945

Tue

2ndArt Group – Fortnightly (10.00) Rendezvous (10.00)

Liz & Stewart 860755 Linda 860067

Wed

Ditcheat Badminton Club (2.00) Ditcheat Short Mat Bowls (7.00) Ditcheat and Pylle Singers (7.00)

Gaye 860081 Martin 860780 Di 07831 289945

Thu

1st

Keep Fit (9.15) Alhamptonians (8.15)

Linda 860067 Louisa 860252

Fri 2ndFolk Dance Club (7.30) Ama 672911

Sat 2ndMen’s Breakfast Roger 860551

April 2018 Tue 3rd 7.30pm Ditcheat PCC AGM Louisa 860252 P30 Thurs 5th 8.15pm Alhamptonians, Alhampton Inn Louisa 860252 P5 Tue 10th 10.00am Rendezvous, Ditcheat Jubilee Hall Linda 860067 P55

Tue 10th 2.00pm Royal British Legion, Charlie’s Jon P3301458 850241

Tue 10th 7.30pm Fosseway Gardening Club, Pylle Vil. Hall Barbara 860438 P17

Thurs 12th 2.30pm Mothers’ Union, Baltonsborough Jill P601458 850402

Wed 18th 10.30am Mothers’ Union Diocesan Meeting P6Tue 17th 7.00pm Haddon Wood AGM, Alhampton Inn Hilary 860615 P25

Thur 19th 7.00pm Ditcheat Big Screen, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Anne 860444 P15

Fri 20th 7.30pm Ditcheat School Quiz and Thai Buffet Richard 860329 P7 Tue 24th 12.30pm Village Lunch, Jubilee Hall Jessica 860205 P55 Tue 24th 7.30pm East Pennard History, EP Village Hall Anna 860347 P22

Fri 27th 2.30pm U3A, Caryford Hall, Dayella, P1007866 173511

Further Ahead Fri 18th & Sat 19th May Ditcheat Players – Foul Play P20 & P21Sun 17th June Ditcheat Open Gardens P20Sun 15th July Great Weston Ride P36

5

Alhampton News So much for thinking that the days were getting longer and thoughts of Spring approaching! We were lucky with the snow in that we did not have to go anywhere much and were warm and dry. Our only minor difficulty was taking ten attempts before we could get up our drive – and that was only an hour after the snow had started properly. Upon investigation we found that there was a sort of snow and ice sandwich which also made for tricky walking – so much so that I didn’t venture to Alhamptonians. Well done to the hardy few who did. Incidentally my grandson discovered a new use for a snow shovel – it makes a splendid sledge. Mind you, you do have to be young enough to curl up on to it, hold tightly to the handle and not worry about falling off. Not much else to report this month. Lots of rumours about the pub but in the meantime Chris is providing delicious meals and the log fires are keeping everyone warm. Alhamptonians will meet in April – weather permitting! – on Thursday 5th April. Perhaps it will be a balmy evening ….

Louisa Oborne Website revival And a bit of good news, Chris Ringrow has kindly offered to revive the Alhampton Website, last seen in 2016 advertising the Duck Race! The details of software to be used etc are yet to be decided though it is hoped it will provide a platform that allows people to easily post items of interest – maybe Alhamptonians in action, fete news, Haddon Wood goings on, a mini freecycle page so unwanted items can be recycled, details of businesses operating in Alhampton and links to their websites, pub news, Tin Tabernacle articles, updates on faster internet connectivity, photo gallery to include vintage pics of the village etc etc. If anyone is interested in providing content or helping in anyway please get in touch with either: Chris at chris@ringrow.co.uk or Margy at mcockburn@hotmail.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you and putting ourselves firmly on the technological map!

100 Club Monthly Winners Charlie Bishop ball number 68 £100 Kim & Mike Shepherd ball number 4 £50 Theresa Rossiter ball number 17 £25

Andrew Nicholls

6

St. Dunstan's and District MU branch met at Baltonsborough Church room for their meeting on Thursday 8th March at 2.30pm. Mrs. Beryl Knight led the Opening Prayers. The guest speaker, Mr. Ian Williamson was then introduced. He gave an illustrated talk about his trekking holiday in Peru to Machu Picchu to raise money for St. Margaret's hospice in Yeovil. He showed many inspiring views of Machu Picchu which is the site of an ancient Inca city in the Andes of Peru. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most famous and spectacular sets of ruins in the world. Ian spoke of his trek in an interesting and humorous way and was much appreciated. Donations were given towards the hospice. The next meeting, Thursday 12th April, 2.30pm, when Revd. Chris Hopkins is guest speaker. New members, friends and visitors, very welcome.

Jill Done

Diocesan Meeting

Come and meet Mothers' Union's Chief Executive, Bev Jullien, on Wednesday 18th April at St. Thomas' Wells at 10 .30 a.m. and put your questions to her to find out more about this worldwide Christian organisation. It is open to all. Best wishes, Margaret, Diocesan President

The Fosse Trinity News is a community magazine. It is financed by advertising and donations. It is delivered FREE to every household in Ditcheat, Alhampton, East Pennard and Pylle. We welcome any contribution from anyone in the community of any age. The editors reserve the right to edit. Copyright of all photographs published remains with the originator unless specified otherwise.

Send copy by 15th of April to editor@fossetrinitynews.co.uk For enquiries about advertising in the magazine, please contact Marcus 01749 860067 or email adverts@fossetrinitynews.co.uk Closing date 10th of each month for adverts. Front Cover by Margy Cockburn ©

7

Ditcheat Church Room Activities

Monthly on 2nd Saturday 8.30am in the Church Room

Freshly cooked breakfast

To book email; breakfast@ditcheatvillage.co.uk or

ring Roger Adams 860551

Baby and Toddler Group

Mondays 10.00-11.30

(during term time only)

Call/text Sally 07929 097374

 

Quiz and Thai Buffet Night at Ditcheat Primary School

20th April 7.30pm start Ticket Price £8 per head

Ticket Price includes quiz entry and Thai buffet

(BYO drinks)

Max 6 people per team (Over 18’s only) Come and join us for a fun evening raising funds for

the school. Great Prizes on offer.

Please contact the school office for further details and tickets (860329).

8

Ditcheat School

I was delighted to receive a visit from Councillor Gemma Verdon on 27th February. She came to congratulate the school on last year’s Online Safety Accreditation, 360 Safe. Miss Verdon was very taken with the school and greatly impressed by the children she met.

Cherry class has loved learning about animals through its topic, ‘Living and Growing’. The children have learnt about the lifecycle of bees, frogs and chickens, to name but a few.

9

We recently held a Jobs and Aspirations week. Maple class greatly enjoyed visiting Maryland Farm and finding out how cheese is made. Later on in the week it had hands-on experience of making butter.

Richard Reid

Ditcheat School Writing Competition Fosse Trinity News is delighted to announce it is sponsoring a story writing competition. Organised by the school, there will be two age categories (as determined by KS1 and KS2) with children asked to write ‘A Story on a Page’. Entries will be judged in May, the two winning stories published in the June edition of the magazine and the authors, besides the ensuing fame, will each receive a book token. Our next U3A meeting is scheduled for Friday 27th April. The speaker is Mike Spencer who will be speaking on: 'Mountains & Maharajas’. The meeting will be at Caryford Hall, Castle Cary at 2.30 pm. This speaker has spoken to us previously about his walk along the Great Wall of China and people found him very interesting.

Dayella Stickland

10

Sudoku Page ‘Easy'

‘Medium’ (answers on page 42)

11

STABLE COMPUTERS Supply of New Computers and Accessories – all set up and ready for you to use… Broadband and Router Installation… PC and Internet Problems Solved… Virus and Spyware Removal… For all your computing needs telephone

Daren on 01963 441229

12

Please use the brown envelope in this month’s issue to make a contribution towards covering the production costs of this magazine and ensure it continues for another year. Each copy costs £1 to produce and is delivered free to all the households in the Benefice; it is also available online. Run by volunteers, it relies entirely on support from advertisers and donations from readers. Envelopes can be returned to:

Maryland Farm Shop, Ditcheat; Thorners Farm Shop in Pylle; The Alhampton Inn; handed to your local distributor or given to one of the FTN team (Stewart Gould, Marcus Wyburn-Mason, Gerry Lees, Maureen Ward, Tim Sanders, Margy Cockburn or Lesley Dunn) anytime, at Rendezvous or the Village Lunch at the Jubilee Hall.

They can also be posted to The Treasurer, FTN, Millstones, Alhampton BA4 6PY. (If you are a UK taxpayer, signing the envelopes means a significant amount of tax can be reclaimed via the Gift Aid scheme.) If you would like to do a BACS transfer using online banking please email Lesley at distrib@fossetrinitynews.co.uk and she will send you the account details. If you are happy to access the magazine on line, with no delivered hard copy, please use the same email to let us know. And if you would like to support the FTN by becoming part of the editorial team in any guise, please do get in touch, we would love to welcome you on board. And thank you.

13

Mike Doyle Home Maintenance

All types of property maintenance undertaken including:

Painting and Decorating Kitchen and Bathroom Tiling Wood/Laminate Floor Laying Wooden Decking Fencing Patio Laying Insurance Quotes/Work

Undertaken

01749 860356 07876421255 e-mail:mad-doyle@hotmail.co.uk

PHILIP SAUNDERS PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER

Based in Ditcheat Airports and Long Distance Trips

Special Nights Out Travel in Comfort Reliable Prompt

Very Competitive Rates Tel: 07855 588128 or 07774 234858

Old Bank House High Street, Castle Cary Somerset, BA7 7AW

castlecary@bgw-solicitors.co.uk Tel: 01963 350888 Fax: 01963 351107

All kinds of legal advice and assistance available, both efficiently and economically.

14

Ditcheat Big Screen Presents

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (15)

Thursday 19th April – Jubilee hall - 19:00

Nominated for 3 BAFTAs, based on a true story.

Using Peter Turner’s memoir, the

film follows the playful but

passionate relationship between

Turner (Bell) and the eccentric

Academy Award-winning actress

Gloria Grahame (Bening) in 1978

Liverpool.

What starts as a vibrant affair

between a legendary femme

fatale and her young lover quickly

grows into a deeper relationship,

with Turner being the person

Gloria turns to for comfort. Their

passion and lust for life is tested

to the limits by events beyond

their control.

Tickets: £6 

In Advance: Maryland farm shop, Ditcheat or Anne Robson (01749) 860444

On-Line tickets available via Jubilee Hall Website 

Licensed Bar & refreshments. 

Sponsored by Harris & Harris (Solicitors), Wells. 

Trailer: www.ditcheatvillagehall.org.uk

15

W.J.TROTMAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS (incorporating Oswald Clarke Funeral Directors of Bruton)

Ashdene, Cranmore, Shepton Mallet Somerset BA4 4QQ

Telephone: 01749 880271

A family run business for over four generations. Private Chapel of Rest

Pre-Paid Funeral Plans Available

CHINNOCK TAXIS

Phone: 01749 831408 Mobile: 07703068878

www.chinnocktaxis.co.uk Glastonbury Driver – Mark - 07585686327

Male or female driver Contracts Child Booster Cushion (x2) 8 & 4 seater vehicles available £10 million public liability

Doctors Daily Hire

Airports Seaports

Railway Stations Regular customer

discounts

16

Gardening April at last and Spring is hopefully getting into its stride. Although many seeds have already been sown (see image below), April is certainly the month to get those crops going. It is good to sit down and really think about what you want to grow and one yardstick here is to grow things that are expensive in the shops but prolific croppers and also vegetables that never taste good if not picked fresh, such as peas and runner beans. Talking of peas, I cheated and found a tray of Petit Pois in Lidl a couple of weeks ago, for the princely sum of around £1.99. I now have about thirty seedlings. Please do ring if you would like some. They were potted on in mid March and look very healthy. Free to anyone who collects (01749 860850).

Another tip is not to sow the entire packet. There could be 100 seeds in there. Think about how many plants you need and sow accordingly. You can see in the image there are rather too many broad bean plants for one household, or in this case, one person! The excess has already been donated to friends and family. At the top end of the image are the plug plants purchased in January for about a pound each. They will be ready to plant out in May/June. Maincrop potatoes can go in this month as can most of the brassicas such as cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower etc. Mine have been grown in the greenhouse rather than sowing straight

into the ground. They germinated quickly, but during the cold snap seemed to freeze in their trays. Happily, they picked up and are looking really healthy. Sadly, I did lose some very tender little Cosmos ‘Purity’ seedlings and one young geranium in the cold weather, but otherwise everything is thriving. Pinch out the laterals on grape vines to leave one every 30cms and tie in selected shoots. Below is a link to the RHS site which gives comprehensive instructions. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=284 The two here are desperate for a prune as they are rampaging over a free-standing pergola. Last year they cropped well and although they were supposed to be eaters they were too sour even for me. I made an amazing Grape Jelly instead which is really delicious with roast meats and rather similar to Redcurrant Jelly. Recipe available.

17

Check soft fruit for pests and diseases and thin peaches and nectarines. Tie in fruit trees and remove grease bands. It is a good idea to put in place supports for perennials this month before the growth gets too out of hand. Deadhead and remove faded daffodil and tulip flowers but leave the foliage and allow it to die down naturally. Herbaceous perennials can be lifted and divided this month. Either pot them on to give to friends and family or plant in available spaces within the borders. Apply mulch to help suppress the weeds and retain moisture. Tie in climbers and roses. Start mowing the lawn and repair lumps and hollows by peeling back the turf and adding or removing soil. The design business is thriving and there are some very exciting and interesting projects on the books. The website needs an overhaul this year and many of the new gardens, built over the last couple of years, will be taking centre stage. If you need any help, do get in touch. Happy gardening. T: 01749 860850 W: jane@janefollis.com    

Fosseway Gardening Club

Next garden club meeting, Tuesday 10th April, 'Stourhead Gardens' by Alan Power. 7.30pm at Pylle Village Hall BA4 6SZ. Further details Barbara Cary on 01749 860438

AN EVENING WITH ELIOT - KEEP THE DATES FREE

An Evening with Eliot will take place in Ditcheat Church on Sunday 14th October 2018. Rehearsals will take place on the evening of Friday 12th and on Saturday 13th. This will include sections from Murder in the Cathedral together with extracts from works such as The Wasteland, Selected Poems, The Four Quartets, The Family Reunion and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. A programme is now in place and we have a company of thirty members ready to entertain you. For further details ring Stephen on 830538.

18

Pilton WMC & Village Hall

Open to all Local, affordable and friendly

A unique venue available to hire for private events.

Disabled access & lift to all floors. Excellent catering services.

Why not join us for our ever popular

Wednesday Lunch, Friday Grill Night or Sunday Lunch Carvery

(Advanced bookings advisable for food) (* please note: these events are subject to change) 

Open 7 nights a week and weekend

lunchtimes. Darts, skittles, pool & snooker tables.

Serving a large selection of wines, spirits, beers, lagers & ciders.

We look forward to welcoming you!

All enquiries

01749 890162 piltonvh@gmail.com          

19

Yenstone Walling Dry Stone Walling and Landscaping All types of stone walling undertaken.

Patrick Houchen – DSWA member.

Reliable, professional service from a family business. 01963 371123

www.yenstonewalling.co.uk

GOLF OPEN DAY BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY

7 MAY 10AM – 4PM ● A warm welcome is extended to all beginners and existing golfers of any age to come

and sample the course and facilities at this friendly Members Club situated between Gurney Slade and Shepton Mallet off the A37

● No entry charge ● Free session with a Qualified PGA Professional ● Junior Coaching ● See our course with unrivalled views extending over 7 counties ● Sample our excellent clubhouse catering and friendly bar ● MEMBERSHIP OFFER AVAILABLE ON THE DAY

THE MENDIP GOLF CLUB, Gurney Slade BA3 5UT Telephone 01749 840570 secretary@mendipgolfclub.com www.mendipgolfclub.com Follow us on Facebook f:@MendipGC

20

“Foul Play at Ditcheat Hall” – 18th & 19th May

On Friday 18th and Saturday 19th May the Ditcheat Players will be presenting their latest “Theatre with Dinner”. “Foul Play at Ditcheat Hall” is in the style of a radio play. The concept of watching a radio play may seem a little odd but don’t worry, there is plenty of visual action, particularly the ingenuity of the sound engineers struggling to create totally believable effects! After an inevitable brutal murder you will be served a two course hot meal followed by coffee (or tea if you prefer) and invited to interrogate the cast to discover the killer’s identity. “Foul Play at Ditcheat Hall” is at the Jubilee Hall, Ditcheat and the doors open at 7pm and performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12.50 and include a two-course meal. The main course will be lasagne served with salad and garlic bread and followed by fruit berry cheesecake and coffee. If we are given prior notice we are happy to offer a vegetarian option. There will be a bar serving wines, beers and soft drinks. Because of the space needed to seat the audience at tables the numbers are limited so book as soon as possible. This is a non-competitive murder mystery evening and the audience participation in solving of the mystery is just for the fun of finding the most imaginative (or outlandish) scenario! To obtain further information and tickets please call Gaye on 01749 860081 or go to www.ditcheatplayers.org.uk   

21

22

East Pennard Village Hall

The Pennard Pop-up pub went well and we are now planning to make this a regular event, giving villagers a chance to get together and enjoy a drink. Thank you to all who attended and for your kind donations towards the Village Hall funds.

This month, back by popular demand, we have a talk on the history of East Pennard by local historian, Adrian Pearse. This will be held at East Pennard Village Hall on Tuesday April 24th at 7:30pm. Tickets cost £5 and include refreshments. Contact Anna Gifford for tickets on 01749 860347.

Did you know… Mendip District Council fund a loan scheme for homeowners,

for essential home repairs and improvements?*

For more information, visit www.wrcic.org.uk, call 01823

461099, or email enquiries@wrcic.org.uk

Your local, not for profit lender working in partnership with

Mendip District Council Wessex Resolutions CIC

Heatherton Park Studios, Bradford on Tone, Taunton, TA4 1EU

* Subject to Status

23

24

Ditcheat Weather – February 2018 I wonder how many people noticed that last month’s weather report was for the wrong month and the wrong year. Well Paul Barber did. He often catches me in the street to compare rainfall figures, and according to the data we were miles apart! To be honest you didn’t miss much. I was talking about weather systems and what happens when high and low pressure systems collide. As things turned out, I nearly made a forecast… More of that in next month’s report. Like the rest of this planet our weather is dependent on a complex and often fragile set of variables. When any one of these gets disrupted the outcome can often be quite dramatic. February started in a fairly benign manner, the 5th being the first day where the overnight temperature was below zero. Rainfall was light. Days were clear with lots of good sunshine. In fact February was an exceptional month for sunshine and, of course, solar electricity generation. Our panels generated 234kwh, which is more than double the figure for the same month last year. Around the 10th talk in weather circles began to mention a sudden stratospheric warming event. The warming that is referred to in its name is a rapid rise in temperature in the upper levels of the atmosphere in the polar region. Sadly, for us surface dwellers, this warming is not reflected in the temperatures we experience. Once a SSW has happened it takes a few days for the effects to be felt. The jet stream is the first victim, as it gets deflected much further south. Next a high pressure system builds over Europe and Russia, effectively blocking the west to east pattern of low pressure systems that bring us warmer wind and rain. Air circulates around a high pressure system in a clockwise manner. With the high situated over Europe, we get bitingly cold dry wind drawn in from Russia. The effects of this were obvious in the daily temperature readings from the 22nd onwards. Every night recorded a minus figure, with 3 of those days recording mean (average) temperatures below freezing. The 28th gave us a warning of what was around the corner. The daytime maximum was -0.4°C with the night-time temperature down to -5.7°C (a new all-time record for my station). To make matters worse the “feels like” temperature (the effect of wind, humidity and temperature on warm blooded creatures) went down to as low as minus 11.3°C. Next month I will talk about what happened next, but…… as I type up this report I am getting reports that the blocking high is about to make a reappearance! Well, we shall see what this brings, but by the time the next report drops on your doorsteps, winter will hopefully be receding into the distance.

25

If anyone wants to read a more detailed analysis of how these situations develop can I recommend a friend’s site www.westcountryweather.co.uk Feb 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

>10°C days 9 3 8 4 4

<0°C nights 0 11 7 4 16

High temp (°C) 12.5 11.1 14.6 12.8 10.4

Low temp (°C) 0.2 -3.2 -2.9 -0.8 -5.7

Rain (mm) 187.8 107.6 98.8 69.0 39.0

Wet days 28 14 15 17 14

Wind Run (miles) 2741.0 1416.6 2040.3 2430.5 2105.8

Geoff Webber

Live weather: www.geoffwebber.co.uk/weather

HADDON WOOD AGM

AGM Tuesday 17th April 7pm upstairs at the Alhampton Inn Please come and join us! If you’d like to know more about the wood, if you’ve never been and you’d like to hear what’s on offer, or especially if you want to influence how the wood looks in the future, please come along! We have decisions to make about how aspects of the wood are managed; in particular, what kind of and how many paths we have in future – wide sweeping drives, intimate paths through the trees, a mixture of both? Our hedging may be up for discussion too, and we’d love any suggestions you may have about how to make our car parks more secure, persuade people to pick up after their dogs, keep dogs out of the pond, or anything else you can think of. We’ll also be electing the Committee, so if you want to stand for election, come along (you’ll need a proposer and a seconder). We hope to see you there; if you want more information prior to the AGM, please contact Hilary on 01749 860615.

26

The Natural World Well! The one thing you can guarantee with regard to weather in this country is that you can’t guarantee anything. We were just heading into March and things were starting to warm up - then zap! It snowed. ‘The worst winter in living memory’, said one person with a very short memory. Be honest, it was nothing like 1963, 1978, or 1981, and it lasted only three days at the most, but the shock to wildlife and plants was very dramatic.

We had a sudden influx of Scandinavian thrushes. At one point, 6 fieldfares were battling it out for supremacy of the apples we had put out for them. As they fought the blackbirds, also members of the thrush family, a robin would flit in and steal a nibble. The fieldfare would then turn on the robin, giving the blackbird a chance. We put food everywhere possible and the rewards were tremendous. Black caps (plural) came to feed from the remnants of the fruit on the crab apple tree. Redwings (another branch of the thrush family) took turns in fighting the fieldfares.

As we were looking at all these birds in the garden, I got a phone call from a friend, describing a thrush sized bird with red patches on the sides of its chest. ‘It looks like a very big robin’ he said. That’s a redwing. These beautiful birds which are slightly smaller than the fieldfares, also join us from Scandinavia. The confusion is understandable, because the Americans have a bird they call a robin, and that too is a member of the thrush family. Then you have bush robins in the Middle East, which are actually chats, and like our stonechats and whinchats are members of the flycatcher family. The more you look the more confusing it gets. As I was explaining all this on the phone, my wife was trying to grab my attention. As she swept the snow from the garden path, she had been joined by

Fieldfare

Redwing

27

an unheard of visitor to our garden. She had looked up to see a lapwing wandering up the garden path. Most lapwings (green plovers) or peewits, also come here from Scandinavia, for the winter. We used to have flocks of our own, but now we see most of them during the winter only. These beautiful bottle green, buff, olive green, black and white birds, have a luxurious plume on the tops of their heads. About the size of a pigeon, they skitter across open ground where they nest, or tumble in the sky with remarkable flying displays. All three of the birds pictured have brightened up many a dull day for me. What next? I reported that there were about 259 varieties of flowers in bloom on New Year’s day again, but this cold snap has stopped everything in its tracks. The frogs which were ‘ready to go’, left the ponds, without spawning, as soon as the snow struck but they’re back, albeit three weeks behind schedule. No spawn as yet, but a few pairs have coupled up in what is called amplexus, which worries me slightly, as the little Amplex tablet was a breath freshening product when I was young. The cold will reduce the time in which their offspring can mature and become adult frogs, capable of surviving next winter, but nature has amazing recuperative powers and frogs have a trick up their sleeves. If there is a dearth of food, the temperatures are low, or they get off to a late start, they can compensate. Their development is arrested at the late tadpole stage, and they over-winter as such, to develop into adult frogs the following spring. Many tender shoots succumbed to the snowy blasts as well. Our honeysuckle took a hit, as did the salvia bushes, and Weigela too. April should bring better fortunes. Look out for small fresh soil mounds on your lawns, and then try to spot the culprits. Tawny mining bees, ashy mining bees and cuckoo mining bees will be out in force during the first warm spell. This beauty is the female tawny mining bee. Photo courtesy of Steven Falk

Stewart Gould – somertonbees@btinternet.com

Lapwing

Tawny Mining Bee

28

 

29

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CHURCH SERVICES FOR APRIL Sunday 1st EASTER DAY 9.30am Parish Communion at Ditcheat 11.00am Parish Communion at East Pennard Sunday 8th 2nd Sunday of Easter 11.00am Parish Communion at Pylle Tuesday 10th 10.00am Benefice Midweek Communion at Ditcheat Sunday 15th 3rd Sunday of Lent 8.30am BCP Communion (1662) at Ditcheat 11.00am Morning Worship with Communion at East Pennard Sunday 22nd 4th Sunday of Easter 9.30am Parish Communion at Alhampton Sunday 29th 5th Sunday of Easter 11.00am United Benefice Communion at Pylle

CHURCH SERVICES FOR MAY Sunday 6th 6th Sunday of Lent 9.30am Parish Communion at Ditcheat 11.00am Morning Worship at East Pennard NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEEETING Ditcheat Parochial Church Council is holding its AGM on Tuesday 3rd April 2018 in the Church Room, Ditcheat at 7.30pm. All members of the Parish are invited to attend. A set of accounts are pinned in the Church Porch should anyone wish to have a read.

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April Musings It seems to have been a long winter, no doubt feeling that way because of the heavy March snow. Perhaps in the course of things it wasn’t so bad. I suffered from a viral throat infection from mid-December until the end of January so my view is probably somewhat jaded. So roll on Spring and Easter. Some of us have been taking part in a Lent programme ‘On the Third Day’, one of the York courses. It has challenged us to try to understand what Christians believe about the resurrection of Jesus after the apparent failure of Calvary, but also to try to work out what we believe about our own hope of resurrection for ourselves and for those whom we know. Many of the stories from the New Testament have a high degree of metaphor: images are used for heaven and life after death, like a great banquet, a tranquil garden, an hotel with many rooms, colour and lavish jewels, angelic beings with gorgeous music, etc. Much of it we accept at face value, not necessarily believing that it will be actually like that but content to understand the reasons for those particular pictorial descriptions. One thing that really struck us – and I use a time metaphor although eternity is beyond time! So what are things like for the individual between death and the ‘Final Day’ when Jesus Christ brings everything to fruition, and heaven and earth are fully the Kingdom of God? Of course we don’t know, but we felt ‘post mortem phase 1’ might be about waiting, resting, recovering from this life, before the fullness of ‘post-mortem stage 2’ face-to-face with Christ. Death is the one thing all humans have in common, though we tend to shy away from it (or perhaps more so from the process of dying) but Easter is about a hope that this is not the end of things. It’s not just ‘pie in the sky when you die’, for being part of God’s Kingdom begins in this life and there is more of a continuity than the abruptness of death might lead us to suppose. Enjoy Easter but remember that for Jesus, death of the Cross of Calvary was a necessary prelude! Every blessing for Easter and Eastertide,

Graham Hendy    

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East Pennard and District Royal British Legion

I must confess to being disappointed that no one has been beating at my door begging to be taken on as Branch Welfare Officer. Am I surprised? No. I am not!! Everybody is just so busy these days. All my friends are already extremely preoccupied doing other things, so how can anybody expect them to fit in another job; especially a job that could entail countless hours a week dedicated to helping a complete stranger. I can think of

dozens of community jobs without too much effort; church warden, village hall, church room, school governor, Fosse Trinity News committee (there’s a plug Margy), Rendezvous…the list is endless and that is without any social group like our fabulous DAPS choir or the bell ringers. If you are the type of character that likes to get involved in village life, you can suddenly find every hour of every day taken up with “stuff”. I am sure some of you are thinking that I have been very irresponsible to give up the job, especially knowing that most people are equally busy, but there is a limit to exactly how much time you are prepared to give away to other things. I had reached my limit and there is no going back. Our Legion branch will just have to soldier on without a fully trained caseworker. Moving on…………I must take my hat off to the church wardens of our three parishes for coming to a fairly swift decision as to where this year’s Remembrance Day parade will take place. This is a very special year, not only will it be 100 years since the Armistice which ended the First World War, but it is also unique because Remembrance Day happens to fall on the 11th of November. That means there will only be one parade and the church wardens have agreed that it should be held at Ditcheat. By rights it is the turn of East Pennard to host the Remembrance Day parade, but the general feeling was that because the date is so special more people will attend. More people means more cars and that would have led to more congestion: parking at East Pennard is never easy. Increase in numbers would have meant more people having to stand on the grass to get anywhere near the memorial and that could have been difficult if the weather was inclement. Also, I think I am right in saying that the church at Ditcheat is slightly bigger and should be able to cope with greater numbers. So, bottom line is, this year’s Remembrance Day parade will be at Ditcheat. Personally, I believe it is the right decision, and I am still tipping my hat to the East Pennard church wardens for agreeing to the change. Another church issue has been aired recently to do with Remembrance Day and that is the question of whether the collection should go to the Legion, which is traditionally what happens, or should the collection go to the Church. Whilst we,

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the local representatives of the Legion as a whole, have always been very grateful to receive the collection and forward it on to the poppy appeal, we do acknowledge that we are using the fabric of the church for the service and this does require maintenance. The PCC has debated the issue and come up with a very reasonable compromise. Two sets of envelopes will be provided on the day. Those people who would be going to church anyway, simply because it is a Sunday, and feel that they want to be able to support the church, will be able to put their donation in an envelope bound for the church. Those people going to support the Legion and want their donation to go to the poppy appeal will be able to put their donation in an envelope destined for the Legion. Sounds like a good compromise to me. And, finally, I would like to bring you up to date with our annual dinner……. and, yes, I know you shouldn’t start a sentence with ”and”. But, you know something? I just don’t care! We had another outstanding success with our dinner on Friday 16th March at The Den in Pylle. We had 40 diners, which is 3 less than last year, but you wouldn’t have thought so given the level of noise generated. I don’t know how some people manage to hold a conversation. Anyway, the atmosphere was great and everybody appeared to have a great time. As usual the food and the service provided by The Den was first class and really contributed to the success of the evening. As you know the raffle is our major fund raiser for the year and we made £122.00 thanks to the generosity of everybody who donated. We tend not to make any money on the cost of the meal - we charge what The Den charges us, but several people rounded up their payment and we were able to add another £13.95 by this means. Such was the efficiency with which we were served, we were well ahead of schedule after the meal, and managed to persuade Grayson Pattemore to entertain us with a hilarious monologue about trains not stopping at Castle Cary on Wednesdays. Thank you Grayson; sorry to spring that one on you. It really was very funny. We hope the generosity of the tip left for the staff of The Den demonstrated how much we enjoyed the evening and appreciated their efforts. Our sincere thanks to everyone who attended. Our next branch meeting will be held at Charlie’s on Tuesday 10th April, starting at 2pm.

Jon Dickens

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The Wildlife Group Update

Share a close encounter with wildlife: it’s mid-March as I write and Spring is in the air. You may know the beautiful swan courting

dance with twining necks, ending in their bills touching making a heart shape neck to chest, I have been fortunate enough to witness it. Then there’s the Great Crested Grebe dance and recently Bob witnessed the Moor Hen “face off” with their rump feathers displaying (see Graham’s photo of rump feathers), wings arched and tails raised, rumps facing each other. Odd way to have a face off!! Hedgehog sighted during the snowy weather by Jan Mills near Happy Landings. Xyella fastidiosa: EXTREME CAUTION - THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS There are 3 subspecies of Xyella confirmed in Europe. X. f. pauca is killing Olive trees in Pugia Italy. It is widespread in North and South America and causes damage to 35% of urban plantings in New Jersey and severe damage to crops of Citrus, Coffee and Olives. It is a Bacterium infecting the water conducting tissues of infected plants, giving symptoms of leaf scorch, wilt, yellowing of foliage, stunted growth, poor quality of fruit or die back. It can be confused with drought, frost damage or other plant diseases. Some plants don’t show any symptoms and for that reason are dangerous carriers. Spread between plants is by sap sucking insects that carry the bacterium in their gut e.g. leaf hoppers, and humans, mainly through the Plant Trade. The trade in Europe is controlled with plant passports, health inspections and self-interest. 359 species can be infected across 75 families. A few examples are - Trees: Magnolias, Oaks & Maple; Weeds: Shepherds Purse, Ivy, some grasses; House plants: Streptocarpus; Shrubs: Lavender; Commercial crops: Coffee which is susceptible to all 3 types of Xyella found in Europe. In Europe it is found in Southern France and Corsica, Italy, Spain - Valencia, all main Balearic Islands and Germany - Saxony. https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/legislation/emergency_measures/xylella-fastidiosa/susceptible_en It is so serious that if it is found there is a 10m destruction zone of host species and a 10km buffer zone of restricted movement of specified plants for 5 years, alongside vector control. These measures would have a devastating effect on

Photo Competition: Can you identify Hilary’s fern photo (next page)? Answers by email or phone to Bridget before the 10th of April.

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the Horticultural gardens and trade in the area. For instance, if it was discovered in Wisley gardens there would be 14 Garden Centres, Gardens and Nurseries affected, not to mention the Landscape and Garden Design trade. The UK Policy aim is to keep Xyella out of the UK. Please play your part by not taking cuttings or bringing plant material from abroad to the UK. Frogs: I am delighted to say that the efforts of Miriam and myself to disperse frogspawn and froglets is really working. I have had news that a recently constructed wildlife pond stocked with our froglets, has produced its own frog spawn this year. Anyone wanting froglets do contact me. Erratum: My apologies to Hilary Clark. I was at least 5 years out of date attributing the Ditcheat litter pick to Roger Yeoman. Hilary organises it, ensuring compliance with H&S and providing the bags, Womble sticks and disposal. This year the litter pick collected 20 bags of rubbish, which would have been much more if the Thrings, Dandos and other regular litter pickers didn’t help keep the Parish clear of litter. Contact information: Bridget Wadey. email: thewildlifegroup@btinternet.com or phone: 01749 860240 You can follow our activities by: joining our emailing list; contact Bridget see above, through the FTN news (www.fossetrinitynews.co.uk), there is usually a monthly update on the Wildlife group www.ditcheatchurch.co.uk, this site publishes our meetings and activities as they happen. The Wildlife Group has its own tag

Photo Competition winner: Graeme’s photo was of a male Stonechat which we saw quite a few of on our Steart visit. I'm pleased to say that Paul Newman correctly identified the Male Stonechat, congratulations Paul.

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PYLLE NEWS Church Flowers and cleaning April Wendy Billing May Pat Thorner If the church is locked please contact the church wardens Teresa 831419, Hilary 830538, Carolyn Fussell 830120, or Alan Cary 07896945936 to obtain a key. Ladies Working Party Wendy Billing (01749 830046) The Working Party meets on the first Wednesday of the month for lunch at The Den.

FROM OUR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT

Our Mothering Sunday Service on the 11th March attracted a congregation of 23. It was a cold day (surprise, surprise) and the fates were not kind to us as the recent bad weather had put the boiler out of action. Our organist persevered manfully as her fingers froze and the congregation shivered in the

pews. Nonetheless the Dunkirk spirit prevailed and there were no fatalities. Hot coffee and delicious Simnel cake were available for survivors. Do come along to our next service (see details on the calendar page). All are very welcome and, with luck, the boiler will have been fixed and the weather will have improved.

VILLAGE HALL

It has been decided to produce a small booklet on the history of the Village Hall and the pictures which decorate it. These have been temporarily removed while problems with damp are sorted out. The portraits are of personalities of significance in the village as well as old photographs of the original hall. There will be copies of the booklet kept in both the hall and the church and it will also be available for purchase if there is sufficient demand. More details to follow. To hire Pylle village Hall: £7.50 per hour or £6.50 per hour for more than 4 regular bookings. For more information and to book the hall please contact Joanna Miln on 01749 838757 PLEASE NOTE; For hall bookings in April, May and June please contact Jeremy Branson on 01749 830181

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Shepton Mallet Almshouses

The Trustees of United Charities, Shepton Mallet Almshouses have vacancies in two of their properties; pictured below is one of the Wickham Almshouses, situated close to the Parish Church and although quiet is convenient to the Town. The one bed-roomed, centrally-heated house has its own entrance, large

shower and is under refurbishment and will be ready in around 12 weeks; it has an attractive garden. Our residences are available to couples or single persons over 55 years who are in housing need and have a connection with the Town of Shepton Mallet or surrounding villages and are able to look after themselves, although our Warden visits and our Clerk is there to help as are the Trustees. Every effort is made to ensure that residents lead their own lives and may stay as long as they are able to do so. Pets are not generally permitted but an existing pet may be allowed. A weekly maintenance charge is made and may be covered by benefits. Shops and buses are within a few minutes’ walk, there is no parking. Utility charges are the responsibility of the resident. Our Almshouses have been around for nearly 400 years and a modern resident would find that living in one is much like living in your own home. Their prime function is to allow people from the locality to continue to live here even in reduced circumstances. Our residents are neighbourly and we have “teas” and Open Days occasionally where all are welcome and can bring relatives as well as mix with other Town Institutions. Many of them belong to U3A, Knit & Chat, W.I. and keep fit or volunteer with the Charity Outlets in the Town. Our motto is “Ordinary People looking after ordinary people”; United Charities is a part of the Almshouses Association but is independently run by unpaid Trustees whose duty is to protect our properties for generations to come whilst providing modern standards for those living in them. Please see our website: Alms1627.org.uk or contact Dawn Gould, Clerk 01749 838646 for further information.   

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Litter-ally dreadful

We missed the Ditcheat Litter Pick on Saturday the 10th, as we were in Kent. But litter is a problem everywhere, as the picture shows. This is the haul of broken plastic sledges and bottles that we and the family collected from a field that grazes sheep and cattle. We’re not sure how well the plastic box and the Wendy house roof performed in the snow!

Vee and Gerry Lees Very many thanks to the 12 people who braved the appalling weather on Saturday morning (10th March) to help with the annual litter pick. Approximately 16 bags of rubbish were collected from the verges in Ditcheat, Alhampton (and Wraxall). We all benefit from the efforts to keep the parish tidy and additional thanks go to the stalwarts who collect litter throughout the year.

Hilary Clark (on behalf of The Parish Council)

Alhampton Defibrillator – VETS

The Alhampton Phone Box defibrillator is up and running, but there is one more community project! Our Big Lottery grant included funding for the installation of a Volunteer Emergency Telephone System as well as a training session in its use and service fees for the first 4 years. VETS is a community scheme to summon help and assistance in the village. Anyone in Alhampton would be able to call a single memorable phone number and VETS would automatically route the call to up to 10 neighbours’ land lines at the same time, until a helper is found to assist. It can be used by a sole rescuer or by someone on their own in trouble. And it does not have to be used just when the defibrillator is needed and the caller cannot get to the phone box: it could help in any medical or other emergency. More details are included in the VETS page opposite. Could those interested in becoming one of the 10 volunteers please contact Lynne Hughes.   

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Charity Theatre Trips News April 2018 Two new trips to enjoy:

Jersey Boys makes a welcome return in November. Our evening trip on Thursday 8th Nov. costs £47 Band B and £63 Band A (no idea why such a huge price difference for this show). Bristol Light Opera Company’s musical in September this year is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Our trip is a matinee on Saturday 22nd September. All Band A at £47.

Trips bookings closing in April: Miss Saigon (Thu 31st May, £60/£72 and La Fille Mal Gardée (Fri 6th July, £36/£46) All bookings can be cancelled without penalty until the tickets are purchased. After this date extra tickets can usually be obtained depending on availability at Bristol, so do ask. All trips pick-up in Curry Rivel, Langport & Somerton. Some then take the Keinton Mandeville/ Shepton Mallet Route; others take the Street/Wells route. This is decided based on the addresses of those booking. Book by e-mail to coxtheatretrips@btinternet.com, go to www.theatretrips.webeden.co.uk or phone 01458 273085.

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Précis of the draft minutes from the Parish Council (PC) meeting held on the 8th March 2018. (Postponed from 1st March 2018).

PRESENT: Chairperson – Councillor Hutton (RH) and Councillors – Clark (HC), Harrison (HH), Dando (JD), Kerr (SK) and Hughes (LH). IN ATTENDANCE: Miss P Griffiths – Clerk to the Council. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Apologies for absence from Councillors Evans (CE), and Travis (RT) – were received and approved. CC Nigel Hewitt-Cooper, DC John Greenhalgh (JG) and PCSO Dury sent their apologies. COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS REPORTS: – RH read out the briefing from NHC which gave an overview and update from Somerset County Council the general points of which are: Ofsted report into SCC Children’s Services; Family Support Service; Adult Social Care precept; Delayed Transfers of Care; Domestic Homicide Reviews; Library Consultation; Somerset Road Safety Strategy; Highways England consultation; Apprenticeships in Somerset & Trading Standards. RH read out the report from JG which included the following points: MDC has agreed a balanced budget for 2018/19 with council tax going up by £5, an increase of less than 4% since 2011. SCC have still to agree their final tax, so the total increase cannot be confirmed as of now. In addition, the Council will continue the Council Tax Precept for the shadow Somerset Rivers Authority which gets passed directly to them. Going forward the Council is facing a cumulative shortfall in funding over the next four years of nearly £5.5m and is looking to close the gap through efficiency savings including those from the 5 councils’ partnership, investing for earnings and other revenue streams such as fees. Due to continuing pressures on planning, some driven by Government policy, the Council is looking at a new structure for the function with both more planners and enforcement officers. SC added that it is planned for the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) to be given the power to be a precepting body in its own right. REPORT FROM AVON & SOMERSET CONSTABULARY- RH read out the report which included the following incidents: 27th January – Report of a flock of sheep near Wraxall Hill – Police and owner attend. 28th January – Report from a resident in Alhampton that they had seen a male in the early hours walking down her pathway and away from the property – Caller didn’t want police to attend – advice given. 29th January – Call from an elderly resident in the village reporting their concerns regarding a cold caller – Police attend, give reassurance and crime prevention advice. 15th February – Report of an accident along Snagg Lane – Police attend. MINUTES - The minutes of the meeting held on 18th January 2018 were approved and signed by the Chairman. MATTERS ARISING - from the meeting held on 18th January 2018.

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Painting of fingerpost road signs – The Clerk reported that the preferred contractor had indicated that the price for replacement finials is between £250 - £275; giving an overall total of approximately £6000.00. It was agreed that personal representation would be made by CE and RH to various persons/organisations in the parish with a view to raising the necessary funds. In addition, the Clerk will put a notice in the FTN advising all parishioners of the intentions of the PC and who to contact if interested in supporting the project. Dumping of food waste – The Clerk reported that whilst the initial reports of food dumping along the Ditcheat to Arthurs Bridge road had reduced the problem appeared to have moved to Elbow Corner. Recent indications are that the problem on the Ditcheat to Arthurs Bridge road had returned and appeared to happen overnight. The Clerk will contact the Enforcement Officer at MDC again and inform Evercreech PC about Elbow Corner. Mural board in the bus shelter in Ditcheat – The Clerk reported on behalf of CE that members of the Ditcheat Art Club have agreed to paint a new mural on the back wall with a gardening theme, once the old mural had been painted over and the side walls repainted. The Clerk will put an article in the FTN to inform and thank the people who were involved in painting the existing mural. Replacement for shroud on the ‘Elephant rocker’ in playground – The Clerk reported that the cost of replacing the shroud would be £126.27 plus the cost of the specialist bolt tool if necessary. Pooling of water at entrance to Haddon Wood by Jacob’s lane – HH reported that she had contacted the Highways Department and would arrange a meeting soon to agreed how to resolve the problem. Update on letter from East Pennard regarding the sign and fence - MDC enforcement are going to follow up the Cross Keys sign. The owner of Leighbridge has not “land grabbed” but merely put a low fence on the line of a former post and wire fence. MINUTES - The minutes of the planning meeting held on 8th February 2018 were approved and signed by the Chairman. PLANNING: It was noted that planning permission has been granted for: 3 Folly Drive, Ditcheat. Ref: 2017/3106/HSE. FINANCE - Bank balances as per cash book at 1st March 2018 excluding items on the agenda – the Clerk reported that the balance was £10,874.44. Resolved to approve and note various payments. PLAYGROUND - Renewing the grass cutting/grounds maintenance contract for the playground and village green. The Clerk reported that the existing contractor had increased the cost per cut to £70.00 (the first increase since 2012). The contactor had been able to minimize the increase as he also maintains the churchyard. It was resolved to extend the existing contract for one year and then review in conjunction with the PCC. Overhanging tree in hedge in playing field – The Clerk reported that having discussed the matter with CE that Mr Radford had been asked to assess the trees to see if any action is required; the initial assessment had indicated that nothing

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was required at present. Members of the Alhampton to Sutton footpath gang have cut back the overgrown hedging on the east side of the Ditcheat playing field. LD reported that having recently read an article in the Town and Parish Information Bulletin about the introduction of Public Space Protection Orders (brought in under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014) that MDC have apparently brought in various Orders for all council owned under 5s play areas and are considering more to cover the whole of the Mendip are. However, it was not clear from the article whether the councils referred to include Town and Parish Councils and when the various Orders come into effect. LH will contact the Community Safety Officer for clarification. HIGHWAYS - Update on items/matters for repair previously reported – Various marks had appeared following the previous reports to the Highways Department, but no repairs completed. New matters for report to the Highways Department: The gulley about 5 – 10 m down from the entrance to the Hire Shed in Sutton is blocked and water is pouring across the road. The warning signs which were put up when repairs were being undertaken on the A371 have not been removed. SC raised the matter of the fly tipping by Champs Way. LH confirmed that the matter had been reported. HC agreed to check after the litter pick to see if the items have been removed. The Clerk will report the above. FOOTPATHS, BRIDLEWAYS AND RIGHTS OF WAY – The Clerk reported on behalf of CE that having reviewed the possible trip hazards due to uneven joints on the concrete path alongside the playground, more extensive work is required. CE will consider what is most suitable. Ditcheat to Sutton footpath - Due to the very wet conditions underfoot, it has not been possible to continue with the Alhampton to Sutton section of the path since before Christmas. It is hoped work will start again in March. CONSULTATION – Somerset Libraries services. RESOLVED that Councillors who wished would complete the survey as individuals and that the Clerk would respond on behalf of the PC that although it accepts the proposal in principle it should be noted that there is due to be a considerable increase in housing in Castle Cary and that whilst there may well be economies in Shepton Mallet in moving the library in to Shape MDC there will be a reduction in footfall due to the location. CONSULTATION – Crime and poor performance in the waste sector. It was resolved that HH would complete the survey for submission by the Clerk. FEEDBACK FROM COUNCILLOR ATTENDING ‘THE RENDEZVOUS’ in February – Concern about number of blocked gullies in and around village. Water lying over gully on pub corner gets splashed onto footpath by passing traffic and is a hazard in freezing conditions. Similar problem with overflowing manhole part way up Ditcheat Hill.

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CLERK’S REPORT AND CORRESPONDENCE– The Clerk confirmed that it would be necessary to hold a planning meeting on the 22nd March to consider the Listed Building Consent for the Trap House, Ditcheat. ITEMS OF REPORT AND INCLUSION ON AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING. Chairman – nothing to report. Members – HC confirmed that all the arrangements including a risk assessment had been done for the litter pick. A parishioner who regularly picks up litter had expressed concern about the unwillingness of the relevant authorities to take the collected litter away as it was considered contaminated and could not be recycled. Similarly, the items were not accepted at the Dimmer dump for the same reasons. HC reported that having spoken to the contractors they will provide bags for this rubbish and will when informed collect it. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING – 12th APRIL 2018 AT 7.30 pm in the Church Room. A Planning meeting will be held on 22nd March 2018 the Church Room at 7.30pm. PLEASE CHECK THE NOTICEBOARDS FOR AGENDAS AND DATES. FOR INFORMATION: The agenda for all meetings is displayed on the website www.ditcheatparishcouncil.org.uk and the notice boards in the parish i.e. Alhampton, Ditcheat, and Sutton at least 3 working days prior to the meeting.

DITCHEAT PARISH COUNCIL - DATES OF MEETINGS 12th April 2018 - Regular Meeting 3rd May 2018 – Annual Parish Meeting and Planning Meeting – If Necessary 24th May 2018 – Annual Parish Council Meeting 14th June 2018 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 5th July 2018 - Regular Meeting 26th July 2018 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 16th August 2018 - Regular Meeting 6th September 2018 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 27th September 2018 - Regular Meeting 18th October 2018 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 8th November 2018 - Regular Meeting 29th November 2018 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 20th December 2018 - Regular Meeting 10th January 2019 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 31st January 2019 - Regular Meeting 21st February 2019 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary 14th March 2019 - Regular Meeting 4th April 2019 - Planning Meeting – If Necessary

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Annual Parish Meeting of Ditcheat The Annual Parish meeting will be held in the Church Room, Ditcheat on Thursday 3rd May 2018 at 7.30pm. All electors are entitled to attend and speak. The Annual Parish meeting is held every year; it is a legal requirement of all parishes. It is not a Parish Council meeting although it is responsible for the administration of the meeting. The meeting is presided over by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council if present, or if not, by a person elected by the attendees at the meeting. The meeting gives all electors in the Parish an opportunity to express views about the parish and to propose that the meeting requests the Parish Council to consider dealing with any matters of concern to the electors of the Parish. At the meeting a report is given by the Chairman of the Parish Council outlining the activities of the Parish Council during the past year. The agenda will be published on each of the notice boards in the parish on 23rd April 2018. All organisations/societies/groups in the parish are invited to send a representative and/or to submit a report; please advise the Clerk so that it can be included on the agenda. Alternatively, please forward your report to the Clerk for inclusion on the agenda. Please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council for further information or if you have any items for the agenda. Please forward to the Clerk no later than noon Friday 20th April 2018. Contact details – clerk@ditcheatparishcouncil.org.uk or via the Parish Council website at www.ditcheatparishcouncil.org.uk or 01749 860443.

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Ditcheat Bus Shelter Back in 2007 some of the young people in the parish did a great job of painting a mural which was installed in the back of the bus shelter, when the inside of the building was also repainted by a volunteer, as it has been in subsequent years. However, the mural, and indeed the rest of the bus shelter, is now starting to look shabby again. The Parish Council has received interest and support from the Ditcheat Art Group to undertake the refurbishment of the mural. The PC is always grateful for all the help and support received which assists in keeping our parish a great place to live. Our thanks to all, past and present, who have/will make waiting for the bus a little bit more pleasant.

Fingerposts In The Parish The Parish Council is intending as a long-term project to repair and refurbish the fingerposts in the Parish so that the original cast iron posts can be retained. In order not to use money raised via the precept, the Parish Council will be contacting local business and organisations in an effort to get funding to complete this project which will cost approximately £6,000.00 to repair, repaint and refurbish all 9 fingerposts in the Parish. If anyone is interested in contributing financially to this project, please contact the Clerk preferably via email: clerk@ditcheatparishcouncil.org.uk or 01749 860440 for further information.

DITCHEAT AND PYLLE SINGERS Ditcheat and Pylle Singers held their third concert in the Jubilee Hall on Saturday 10th March. A capacity crowd were entertained with songs old and new, various solos and some comedy turns. During the interval the ladies' hard work in the kitchen meant that lasagne was enjoyed by all. Signature pieces included Jeff Lynne's Mr Blue Sky sung as an acapella number, the Hallelujah Chorus and Morton Lauridsen's haunting Sure On This Shining Night. In addition there were musical pieces by a recorder group and 2 entertaining piano pieces. The Singing Group would like to thank all who attended and contributed to the evening being an undoubted success, which we aim to repeat next year!

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St Mary Magdalene Ditcheat Rotas Cleaning Church Room

April 7th / 14th Jessica Leach Pat Dando 21st / 28th B & I Rounsevell

May 5th / 12th R & L Adams Eleanor Yeoman

19th / 26th H & A Nicholls If you would like to help, please contact Vee Lees (860542) for church cleaning or Pat Dando (860448) for church room cleaning. The complete lists are available on the web site in archive1. www.fossetrinitynews.co.uk.

Flowers Brass April 1st & 8th Easter Team (April 1st EASTER DAY) April 15th & 22nd Anne Robson Louisa Oborne April 29th & May 6th Sally Atkins “

EAST PENNARD CHURCH FLOWERS & CLEANING ROTA April Bumble Montgomery Shirley Baldwin May Shirley Elsebach Horst Elsebach Clare Hogg

Hilary Tripp If you are interested in joining either our Flowers and Cleaning Team (the commitment is usually 2 sessions a year) or The Window Decoration Team (Easter, Harvest and Christmas), contact Bridget Wadey on Tel: 01749 860240. It would be a real help to the local community.  

June Helen Ablitt John Ablitt

55

VILLAGE LUNCH The Village Lunch is held on the last Tuesday of the month

in the Jubilee Hall at 12.30pm.

Menu for 24th April Chicken, Leek and Bacon casserole,

Salmon Parcels, Vegetable Lasagne

Selection of Puddings. Tea or Coffee.

£4.00 per person. Menu options are available on the FTN website,

www.fossetrinitynews.co.uk.

If you would like to come let either Jessica Leach (860205) or Vee Lees (860542) know by the previous Wednesday, (18th).

There will be a raffle as usual - any prizes will be welcome.

The Rendezvous Tuesday 10th April

10.00am – 12.00pm Ditcheat Jubilee Hall

Enquiries: Linda 860067

56

Who's Who ?

FOSSE TRINITY BENEFICEInterim Priest Canon Graham Hendy 677003 Reader Jean Halford 860422 Fosse Trinity Advisory Committee Jean Heal 860452 Fosse Trinity News Editor Margy Cockburn 860611 Fosse Trinity News Advertising Marcus Wyburn-Mason 860067 Fosse Trinity News Distribution Lesley Dunn 860746

Prayer Pyramid Co-ordinator { Anthony Sutcliffe Eleanor Yeoman

860541 860337

Mothers' Union Yvonne Stokes 01458 851480 Safeguarding Person Bridget Wadey 860240 Children's Society Jo Curtis 860898 ALHAMPTON Chapel Custodian Jo Curtis 860898 Church Council Secretary Louisa Oborne 860252 Neighbourhood Watch Lynne Hughes 860654 FTN Correspondent Louisa Oborne 860252 EAST PENNARD Bells - Tower Captain Mervyn Buckley 01458 440180

Churchwarden { Jean Heal Susie Dearden

860452 860502

Church Council Secretary Church Room Hire Audrey Dyson 860317 Parish Council Chairman Adrian Pearse 890216 Royal British Legion Secretary Jon Dickens 01458 850241 United Charities Chairman Adrian Pearse 890216 Verger Ray Higgins 01458 446768 PYLLE Bells - Tower Captain Joe King 890357

Churchwarden { Hilary Tudsbery-Turner Teresa Rossiter

830538 831419

Church Council Secretary Stephen Tudsbery-Turner 830538 Ladies Working Party (Chairman) -FTN Correspondent Stephen Tudsbery-Turner 830538 Village Hall hire and keys Joanna Miln 838757

Email contacts are on page 58

57

DITCHEAT Art Group Liz & Stewart Gould 860755Badminton Club Secretary James Bairstow 860355 Bees – Swarms Stewart Gould 860755Bells - Tower Captain Roger Yeoman 860304Bells - Correspondence/Bookings Ben Look 860257 The Other Book Club Sue Stevens 860396Church Council Secretary Louisa Oborne 860252Church Room Hire Pat Dando 860448

Churchwarden { Lynne Hughes Eleanor Yeoman

860654 860337

Community Car Service (ADEPPTS) Joyce Marsh 860493Country Dancing Ama Bolton 672911 Cricket Club Nick Mann 812304Ditcheat Big Screen / Moviola Anne Robson 860444Ditcheat School Richard Reid 860329Friends of Ditcheat School (FODS) Katy Bryant 860329 Ditcheat Players Chairperson Gaye Volk 860081Fosseway Garden Club Barbara Cary 860438Jubilee Hall Chair Linda Wyburn-Mason 860067 Jubilee Hall Hire Anne Robson 860444Jubilee Hall Website Geoff Webber 860184Keep Fit Linda Wyburn-Mason 860067Neighbourhood Watch Jim Dando 860448 Parent & Toddler Group Sally Yeoman 860304Parish Council Chairman Charles Evans 860336Rendezvous Linda Wyburn-Mason 860067 Saturday Stitch Sally Yeoman 860304Short Mat Bowls Martin Edgar 860780Skittles Shirley Derby 07939198030 Village Lunch Jessica Leach 860205Wildlife Group Bridget Wadey 860240 GENERAL Community Police Lucy Bagnowiec 101 Guy Dury 101

Please help us keep this information up-to-date. Email editor@fossetrinitynews.co.uk with any changes.

58

Index of Advertisers

Printed by Parish Magazine Printing

Who's Who ? Email addresses

Fosse Trinity News Editor editor@fossetrinitynews.co.ukFosse Trinity News Advertising adverts@fossetrinitynews.co.ukFosse Trinity News Distribution distrib@fossetrinitynews.co.uk Ditcheat Parish Council ditcheatparishcouncil.org.ukCommunity Police Lucy.Bagnowiec@avonandsomerset.police.uk guy.dury@avonandsomerset.police.uk

Accounts, Hayley Spencer 59 Medical, Osteopath, Trevenen Pascoe 43Computing, Stable Computers 11 Mobility, Sutton Stairlifts 18Dining, The Manor House Inn 29 Mowing, Kevin Bushrod 59Driver, Philip Saunders 13 Music Tuition, Matt Pearse 11Electrician, Ian Lester 2 Odd Jobs, Adrian Bullin 28Estate Agents, Lodestone 45 Odd Jobs, Alistair Gillard 2Events, Pennard House 23 Oven cleaning, Ovencor 11Flowers, Margy Cockburn 11 Removals & Storage, Armishaws 37Food, Jon Thorner's Back Roofing, Mark Curtis 53Funerals, Connock 44 Solicitor, J Derbyshire, Purely Probate 18Funerals, Trotman Funeral Directors 15 Solicitors, Bartlett, Gooding & Weelen 13Furniture Restorer, Piers Keating 11 Stone Mason, Thomas Kendrick 43Garage Doors, SDS 44 Stone Walling, Yenstone 19Golf, Mendip Golf Club 19 Taxi, Tony Chinnock 15Hall Hire, Pilton WMC 18 Tennis coaching 23Heating Services, R A Wicks 43 Transport, ADEPPTS 2Heating Services, Warm Welcome 13 Travellers Rest, Stone 2Hire Shed 2 Tree Surgeon, Jody Osborne 59Home Maintenance, Mike Doyle 13 Tree Surgeon, M Parsons 44Jewellery, Fosse Beads 18

59

LOP Mowing Contractorwww.lopmowingcontractor.co.uk

Kevin Bushrod Competitive pricing on mowing large areas of grass. Lawns, orchards and paddocks. Grass collected or mulched. Shed/fence panel picks and deliveries etc Tel: 01749 860546 / 07930 306465