Community news in and around Wellington

TWO special days of celebration are being held during August in St Mary’s Church, Hemyock, the church’s patronal festival/gift day, and a retirement.

The gift day and festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary will take place on Sunday (August 16), when the congregation have been invited to put forward their favourite hymns with some being sung during the service. The rector, the Rev Vanessa Cole, will lead a service of Holy Communion which starts at 10.30 am with the hymns followed by a celebratory glass of Pimms.

During the afternoon, the gift day will continue, as it costs about £50,000 each year to keep open the village church, which is more than 900 years old. The costs includes insurance, heat and light, maintenance, and staffing. There are various ways contributions can be gifted, from regular giving to leaving a legacy.

Throughout the afternoon, refreshments will be available in the church, while a quiz and craft stall will keep children busy. The Rev John Stone, who has been a church minister for more than 40 years, has decided to ‘hang up his cassock’. On his retirement from full-time ministry in Bampton, Mr Stone moved to Hemyock where he has been a much-loved member of the ministry team of the Upper Culm Valley Benefice of Hemyock with Culm Davy, Clayhidon, and Culmstock.

Now, his final service will be in St Mary’s on Sunday, August 23, at 10.30 am, which will be one of Holy Communion, to which everybody is invited.

SEVERAL people held a vigil in Wellington town centre on the afternoon of August 6 to mark Hiroshima Day to commemorate the thousands killed there and at Nagasaki, as well as those killed in the many wars around the world since then. Those present noted the connection between peace and justice and how war does not lead to lasting peace.

After the vigil members of the group met in the Quaker Meeting House to consider what further action might be taken in the town. The group agreed to hold further peace vigils in the town with October being suggested for the next one; the hope being that this may lead to the formation of a peace group.

John Ainsworth

The meeting took place on Monday, August 10 in the Rugby Club where it was well attended by 50 members and five guests who all said they would be back next month to sign up for the annual subscription which is due in September. The turn out was good for August, as well as considering the heat we are enduring.

We made a very late start with projectors playing up and having to jockey about with electrics etc, however, the time was put to good use with members catching up with each other and investigating new groups that were being proposed, as well as requests for people to embroider the banner for our 40th Anniversary next year.

The formalities having been seen to be done the presentation began.

The Tale of the West Somerset Railway was given by two of their members: Steve Morgan and Mike Newberry. The railway was there of course, long before the heritage volunteers came into the picture. It ran along the south coast for goods trains to connect the coast line from Taunton through to London taking all manner of goods between the two areas.

Like everything else in this world (you see, we just go round in circles. nothing changes) it failed to pay its way. Despite jobs being lost and effectively cutting off this areas transport link, Mr Beeching with his axe took a swipe at the country’s rail network and it’s never recovered.

Enter the railway men. The men who said no. We need this and we can do it. Heritage volunteers. To ride the footplate, stoke the engines, run the signals, maintenance men and engineers. They came from all walks of life.

It took a few years to get everything aligned but finally they were off and running. That was 1976 so that makes this year their 50th Anniversary year with lots of specials on the Bishop Lydeard to Minehead rail tracks where you will find queues from the first train at 10.15 am as well as a cafe and a museum with knowledgeable people to answer any questions you, or the kids, need answers to.

History abounds, as you would expect, with stories both everyday and even Royal, with in 2002, the 50th commemoration of the terrible floods in Lynton and Lynmouth with His Royal Highness the Prince Phillip coming, by rail direct from London.

The old country stations are used by filmmakers of course for authenticity in films like Landgirls who used Crowcombe Heathfield Station and the Beatles used W.S.R. back in 1974 for publicity. Today you can get a day trip and stop anywhere on the line with cafes and facilities to hand. You can also take part in Fish and Chips supper trips or Afternoon Tea Trips. The meeting concluded rather later than was usual but I think it was well received.

The next meeting will be subs week with group activity being highlighted while, for a change of pace we haven’t done before, there will be a Tombola taking place.

Hope to see many of you there: 10.15am September, 14 at the Rugby Club.

NYNEHEAD Garden Club held its 22nd annual flower show on August 8 and was well attended by both entrants and visitors alike. Organisers reported depleted entries in the fruit, vegetable and flowers categories due to the excessive heat but judges Ian Johnson (fruit and vegetables), Dr F E Burroughes (flowers, floral art), Christine Wombwell (cookery), the Andrea Stout (handicraft and young people’s classes) still had much to admire.

Thanks to our independent judges who turned up at 10am to judge all items exhibited. The day was a great success and included tea, cake and ice creams, raffle prizes and cups awarded to various entrants. Many thanks to all that helped on the days before and during and those people who donated raffle prizes. We look forward to seeing everybody again next year and any new entrants.

Cup winners included The Prior Shield to Frank Meadows (aubergines) in the best vegetable class, Best Fruit and the Hargreaves Shield went to Gordon Stead for his blackberries. The Rose Cup, aptly for best rose went to Rachel Vest while Vicky Lovell racked up the most cookery points winning the Toogoods Cup. Most Points in Show and the Nynehead Court Cup were awarded to Gordon Stead, while the young people category was won by Alfred Povey.

The Shepherd Cup was awarded to Elaine Entwistle for the best flower in show with her Herbaceous Perennial flowers, while the most points in handicraft shield went to Tina Mostert. The ever-popular Spud in Bucket was won by Malcolm Vest for his 1.415kg of potatoes, collecting the Mervin Hooper Shield. And best exhibit cookery and the Haslams Cup was won by Elaine Entwistle for her homemade loaf of bread.

The Garden Club will be meeting again on September 14 with a talk from Bella Given on dazzling dahlias, decision delights and delirium and on October 12 with a talk from Stephen Powles on Tawny owls coming to a wood near you. We welcome new members to come along and join us.

Gordon Stead

The 110th annual Wivey Show returns to the Wiveliscombe Rec on Saturday, August 15 starting at 12 noon.

You will be able to enjoy our activities on offer, including music, entertainments, stalls, trade stands plus three marquees full of entries from our many classes, from home-grown produce to creative arts, cookery, photography, poetry, floral displays, children’s classes and a host of new ones. Entries are free and open to all. Find out more at: www.wiveyshow.co.uk/sections/classes-2026

Wivey youth project In the Mix Project will be taking part and said: “Join us at the Wivey Show, a much-loved, fun Family Day out in Wiveliscombe bringing together people of all ages. Pop along to our stall for activities, fundraising, and details on youth services in the local area.”

MORE than 100 people gathered at Corfe Barton in July for an open-air performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night by the Taunton Thespians, raising £1,818 for Somerset Sight.

Guests arrived from 6.30pm with picnics, chairs and rugs, enjoying the warm evening sunshine and the backdrop of Pickeridge Woodlands before the performance began. The total was raised through ticket sales, a raffle, bar proceeds and sponsorship from Leonardo UK.

Before curtain-up, Somerset Sight Trustee Richard Barton thanked supporters and highlighted the charity’s work providing practical support, training and leisure activities for more than 3,500 people affected by sight loss across Somerset.

Somerset Sight would like to thank the Taunton Thespians, Leonardo UK, volunteers, raffle donors and everyone who attended for helping make the evening such a success.