STAFF, past and present, at two Wellington companies, Relyon and Pritex, held their annual reunion on Friday, November 28.

Their fourth get-together took place at the Football Club with nearly 40 people attending.

They enjoyed games, bingo and a raffle and there was a Ploughman’s lunch supplied by Tim Potter Family Butchers.

Organiser Jeanette Bird said: “It was a lovely afternoon and everyone seemed to have a great time.

“We were also delighted to raise £280 for St Margaret’s Hospice – thanks to everyone who came along and those who donated raffle prizes.”

CHRISTMAS celebrations begin in Hemyock on Saturday (December 6) when St Mary’s will hold its annual Christmas Fayre at the parish church.

Starting at 1 pm and running until 3.30 pm there will be a number of popular stalls as well as face painting, children’s craft, and afternoon teas.

There will also be a treasure chest where people can donate any old watches, jewellery, cameras, etc which the church can sell to raise funds.

The ever-popular charity shop in the Church Room will also be open during the same time with its huge range of bargains.

The evening will see the amazing lights parade which always attracts hundreds of visitors.

This year, there will be a slightly different route, but it will as usual end at the parish church when the star on the tower will be lit.

The Catherine Wheel and other street venders will be serving hot food.

Organised by the Friends of St Mary’s between Friday and Sunday, December 12 and 14, a Christmas tree festival involving many organisations will be held in the church.

The Blackdown Acapella will perform a concert there on Saturday, December 13, at 7 pm. Refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.

THE Wellington Choral Society had a very successful concert on Saturday, November 29.

On behalf of the society Lucy Watson and Annie Matthews said: “This was a wonderful concert on Saturday and a full house - thank you to our audience for braving a chilly night and chilly church to come and hear us sing. Britten's St Nicolas was a great story to tell and very exciting music from the orchestra and particularly the tympany.

“We were thrilled to have three choristers from Exeter Cathedral to sing the 'pickled boys' and singers from Exeter University Chapel choir to sing in the gallery, and Michael Graham tenor gave a moving performance of St Nicholas. In the second half of the concert we sang Part 1 of Handel's Messiah which was a very fitting end to the concert and start to the festive season.

“We now look forward to rehearsals for Brahms German Requiem which we will be performing on Saturday, November 28, at 7 pm at St John's Church Wellington, TA21 8QY. Rehearsals start on Wednesday, January 7, at 7.30pm at Wellington Prep School Hall TA21 8NT. We are a friendly choir and welcome new singers.”

KEY points from the monthly meeting of Nynehead Parish Council held in the Memorial Hall on Monday, October 17, included an Emergency Plan for Nynehead, setting the Budget, and Highways issues.

The Parish Council continues to work on developing an Emergency Plan for Nynehead. ‘Nynehead Now’ (Nynehead's community WhatsApp group) is the easiest way to communicate any issues, difficulties or problems within the parish and ideally every household in Nynehead would have access to Nynehead Now. In the unlikely event of an emergency, to be able to give accurate information to every household would be extremely beneficial.

October and November are when meetings take place to set the new budget for 2026/27. Every item of likely expenditure is assessed and predictions made for costs for the next financial year. These costs, offset by any income form the basis of the Precept demand sent to Somerset Council.

Mr M Vest is working with SC Highways Engineers to have new Flood Depth Markers installed at Hornshay and Ash river crossings and better advanced signage that these roads are liable to flooding.

The parish council is awaiting news of whether the Police Road Safety Fund Speed Indicator Device grant application was successful.

The meeting concluded with the usual parish council administration.

The next parish council meeting is on Monday, December 15, at the Nynehead Memorial Hall commencing at 7.30 pm. The village website www.nyneheadparish.gov.uk , contains much more information including dates of the parish council meetings and minutes of previous meetings.

Nynehead Parish Council aims to serve the needs of the community and residents are encouraged to share ideas, voice concerns or suggest initiatives in person at a parish council meeting or by contacting the clerk on [email protected]

TRANSITION Town Water Guardians are appealing for more keen citizen scientists to join their volunteer group.

The Water Guardians work together to undertake citizen science to monitor a specific stretch of the local waterway.

The group said: “We’d love more people to get involved so if you’re interested, please come along to a meeting.”

The group aim to educate and engage people with the water environment, produce data that can be used to target work and identify degrading water bodies and spot pollution events which can be dealt with as quickly as possible.

The group meet at 9.30 am on the first Thursday of every month at Braziers Coffee shop, Tonedale Mill.

For more information, contact Sue on 07896 031236 or by email [email protected]

A NON-PROFIT organisation who provide youth and community services across Wiveliscombe, Wellington and Taunton have received £1,000 in funding from Wivey Consolidated Charities.

In the Mix Project, based in Wiveliscombe, provides professional youth work support and advice to young people, relating to issues prevalent to themselves, their communities and their environment.

Nick Harvey, Charity Manager, said “This funding will directly benefit young people living in the town through safe spaces, advice and positive activities. We look forward to continuing to strengthen local opportunities for young people through partnerships and collaboration.”

In 2024, In the Mix Project provided over 700 hours of direct youth work and supported 341 new young people within West Somerset who required their services.

The programmes that In the Mix Project run provide informal educational activities and positive experiences that enhance learning alongside personal, social, emotional and professional development, as well as expanding skills and experiences, boosting self-esteem and confidence while promoting teamwork and citizenship.

Their youth club currently operates between 5.30 pm -7.00 pm for juniors and 7:30 pm -9:00 pm for seniors every week in term time.

For more information on the organisations open access youth work, email: [email protected]

ON Saturday (November 29), Wellington School welcomed 250 children from over 60 primary schools for the annual Wellington School Maths Challenge, now in its 30th year.

The event has grown to become one of the largest primary school mathematics competitions in the South West.

Peter Buckingham, event organiser, said: "Over the past thirty years, over 4,000 young mathematicians have taken part in this wonderful event. For some, it has been the start of an amazing mathematical journey which has led them to study mathematics at University and beyond."

This year’s challenge tested participants with a variety of problems requiring both mathematical skill and logical thinking.

The competition was won by Bickleigh on Exe Primary School, whose team worked exceptionally well together to solve complex problems and demonstrate impressive teamwork.

Second place was Minehead Middle School and third place was West Monkton School.

St John’s C of E Primary School in Wellington came fourth with their Year 6 team achieving a score of 20 out of 25.

Chard Prep School, Wellington Prep School and Ruishton Primary School made the closest estimates of the number of sweets in the jar; which were 267.

Mr Buckingham, continued: “The event is a challenge. We are very keen that every participant has some success but also leaves thinking about the problems they have encountered, knowing that there is always more to learn."

The Wellington School Maths Challenge aims to inspire young mathematicians and provide a platform for developing problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and a love of mathematics.