LOCAL artist Sally Light (aka Bodkin Beak) has created a Wellington Badges Trail to provide a fun family activity in the town.

Sally has designed and made a new range of seven badges, each inspired by a photograph she has taken of architectural features and other decorative details which she has spotted in or near Wellington's town centre.

It was something she had wanted to do for some time and she was helped to get the idea off the ground by Nina King, of the Talent Gallery, in Fore Street.

Nina said: “It is such a lovely idea and we feel very excited to be involved.”

All of Sally’s badges are now for sale in the Talent Gallery, where a trail leaflet is being given away with every purchase of one of Bodkin Beak’s badges.

Sally said: “They would make lovely, quirky, inexpensive little gifts for those who love Wellington, or for people wanting to post a small gift to somebody.”

As making the badges to sell, Sally wanted to create a trail which followed her sources of inspiration, something fun for people to do.

There is also a competition for people who would like an opportunity to win a complete set of the Wellington Badges.

Anybody who enters the competition should return their completed leaflet to the Talent Gallery by 4.30 pm on Friday, March 27, and the winner will be contacted by 12 noon the following day

A prize of the full set of Wellington Badges will be given to the first correct entry pulled out of the hat.

Results will be displayed on a poster in the Talent Gallery window.

Trail leaflets, complete with clues, can be collected from the gallery and people should follow the clues and write down where they think each photograph which inspired the badges was taken.

THE January meeting of Nynehead Parish Council (NPC) in the Memorial Hall saw a discussion on the non-collection of recycling in East Nynehead.

Nynehead Now, the village WhatsApp group has been buzzing with comments from residents of East Nynehead concerned their recycling bins had not been emptied for the past three weeks.

The waste contractor Suez had failed to collect the recycling, giving the excuse of the flooded road at Tone Green in Bradford on Tone.

Residents’ frustrations were compounded when the black refuse bins were emptied, with that lorry having no difficulty accessing East Nynehead.

NPC councillors have made representations to Somerset Council (SC) councillors to ask that waste services either drive through the low level flooding or find an alternative route, with several different routes into East Nynehead being cited.

The precept demand for 2026-27 is for £11,582 as approved by NPC on December 15.

This is an increase of 4.73 per cent with a band D figure of £60.94, an increase of 84p or 1.4 per cent.

The highways update saw Malcolm Vest continuing to make good progress on the new flood signage and depth markers at Hornshay and Ash river crossings, working with SC traffic engineer Kate Brown to produce detailed drawings of where the new signage will be placed.

Members were able to review the drawings and agreed to ask that an additional depth marker is placed centrally at the lowest point at both locations.

It was agreed a salt bin located at the top of The Hollow could be purchased and filled with de-icing salt for any member of the public to use to aid the safety of road users in this area.

Residents of Blackdown View have informed NPC that nuisance parking in the turning circle of Blackdown View is becoming a real problem, especially where there is double parking.

There is concern emergency vehicles could be unable to access some properties and that vehicles are forced to make a long reversing manoeuvre.

Members agreed to ask an SC traffic officer if double yellow lines or other road markings could be applied to deter this nuisance parking.

Volunteers regularly give up their time to maintain the parish footpaths.

As thanks for their work, NPC asked them to nominate a charity for a donation, thus £100 will be donated to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.

The meeting concluded with the usual administrative matters of the parish council.

The next meeting of Nynehead Parish Council is scheduled for Monday, February 16, at Nynehead Memorial Hall, beginning at 7.30 pm.

For additional information, including dates of future parish council meetings and minutes from previous meetings, residents are encouraged to visit the village website at www.nyneheadparish.gov.uk.

NPC is committed to serving the needs of the community and residents are invited to share ideas, raise concerns, or suggest new initiatives in person at meetings or by emailing the clerk at [email protected].

THE Ven Anne Gell is to step down from her roles in the Bath and Wells Diocese in May after eight years as Archdeacon of Wells and Residentiary Canon of Wells Cathedral.

She temporarily stepped back from her archdeaconry role between February, 2023, and June, 2024, to serve as acting Dean of Wells.

Bishop of Bath and Wells the Rt Rev Michael Beasley said: “After serving us faithfully, generously, and gracefully for nine years, Anne has decided to move on to take on a new challenge.

“We are hugely indebted for all that she has given during her time in Bath and Wells.

“Anne has known, loved, and served people in churches and communities across the archdeaconry.

“She has also undertaken amazing work within Wells Cathedral, especially during the time Anne served as acting dean.

“Anne has been a much-loved member of our team and we shall miss her enormously.”

Anne said: “I have been in Bath and Wells for nine years, during which there have been many joys and challenges.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, met, and walked alongside some wonderful people, but it feels to be the right time to make some space to hear where God is calling me now, and perhaps to consider aspects of my vocation I have not recently had chance to explore.”

The Very Rev Toby Wright, Dean of Wells, said: “Through her ministry as residentiary canon, as well as her time as acting Dean of Wells, Anne has brought support, wisdom, and healing in times of change for many throughout the wider community.

“We will always remember with gratitude the strong foundations she has established here, on which we can now build confidently for the future.

“Our prayers are with Anne and her family as she discerns God’s call to her next chapter.”

There will be an opportunity to say farewell to Anne at Wells Cathedral evensong on Sunday, May 10, before she leaves the diocese at the end of May.

RUMWELL Farm Shop is hosting its first 2026 supper club next week, celebrating the best of Westcountry food including ingredients grown and raised on its family farm nearby.

The award-winning farm shop is holding a sausage and crumble night on Thursday (February 19), from 6 pm.

Partner Sophie Mitchell said: “As a family-run, Somerset-based business, wherever we can we put supporting Somerset and Westcountry produce at the heart of what we do.

“This special supper club evening showcases quality ingredients raised and grown by our farm team, including our pork, beef, potatoes, and apples.

“Guests will enjoy a hearty selection of sausages from our award-winning ‘Made At Rumwell’ range, all prepared by our in-house butchery team.

“The evening is designed to shine a spotlight on the quality and flavour of our farm’s own produce, as well as bringing together hearty dishes that showcase the very best of Westcountry and Somerset ingredients.”

THANKS to the generosity of the people of Wellington and district, the Rotary Club of Wellington has been able to donate £250 to Beech Grove Primary School.

The money will help enable the school to purchase a selection of new books from the school’s wish list.

The books will support the school’s literacy provision and help to continue to grow a rich and vibrant reading culture within the school.

Over Christmas, Rotary’s street collection raised £2,479, and the club is now asking for any spare wool to be dropped off in the Kings Arms community hub to support an upcoming fund-raising project.

During a busy 2025, Rotary raised more than £10,000 which has been used to support many local good causes including the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, SURE, Reminiscence Learning, EpiPens for schools, sports kits for disability football, netball and rugby teams, a minibus for the scouts, various school projects, and the Royal British Legion, to name but a few.

A spokesperson said: “None of this would be possible without the wonderful support we have had from our Wellington community and surrounding areas, so we would like to say thank you to everybody who helped, donated, and supported our various projects.”