WATCHET War Memorial Recreation Ground Committee's chairman Jim Nicholas has retired from the role after 18 years.

Runner-up in Watchet Town Council’s volunteer of the year award, Mr Nicholas will stay on the committee for the time being to complete the hand-over to new chairman Lori Lee who, having been living in Watchet for nearly 10 years, is already working with the committee to arrange community events on the ground which will raise money for the ongoing repairs to the memorial pavilion.

These will include a flower show on July 19, now in its third year after a 35-year gap, a new dog show on May 17, and boot sales on May 10, June 14, July 12, and August 9.

A maritime fancy dress fun run/walk will be held on August 31 and last year’s successful Santa fun run will be repeated in December.

MINEHEAD and District Choral Society and friends brought a welcome burst of colour and warmth to a blustery evening with ‘Magic of the Musicals’, a joyful and well-received concert at Minehead Methodist Church.

Under the assured direction of Marcus Capel, who this year celebrates his 20th anniversary as musical director of the society, the choir presented a richly varied programme spanning some of the most loved shows of the 20th century.

Supported by an excellent small team of musicians and a charismatic soloist, the evening proved both entertaining and moving in equal measure.

The first half opened with a lively medley from ‘West Side Story’.

A confident male opening in ‘Tonight’ immediately set the tone, followed by a crystal‑clear response from the ladies with ‘I Feel Pretty’ in which every word carried.

‘One Hand, One Heart’ was particularly haunting, while ‘Maria’ featured a beautiful clarinet accompaniment.

The choir handled the syncopated rhythms of ‘America’ with energy and precision, before closing the sequence with a tender ‘Somewhere’, introducing the evening’s first solo moment.

Soprano Stephanie Berner, a frequent and much‑valued guest soloist with the society, brought warmth and poise to her performances throughout the evening.

Her account of ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ was a highlight, delivered with engaging eye contact, clear storytelling, and an easy rapport with the audience.

A simple, perfectly judged ‘Summertime from ‘Porgy and Bess’ followed, demonstrating how much can be achieved through restraint and musical honesty.

The musicians then returned with elegant instrumental arrangements of ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and Cole Porter’s ‘Night and Day’, notable for the delightful exchanges between flute and clarinet, played with style by Nicole Willis and Rainer Dolz (flute and clarinet) and Angela Morecroft (piano).

The first half concluded with a spirited ‘South Pacific’ medley from the choir.

From the relaxed atmosphere of ‘Bali Ha’i’ to the infectious enthusiasm of ‘A Wonderful Guy’ (which visibly tempted the choir into movement!), the set allowed all sections to shine.

The men were especially strong in ‘Younger Than Springtime’ and ‘There Is Nothing Like a Dame’, before a beautifully unhurried ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ brought the first half to a close.

After the interval, the choir launched confidently into a medley of numbers from ‘Les Misérables’.

‘At the End of the Day’ was powerful, while ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ and ‘Bring Him Home’ showcased Stephanie Berner’s expressive singing again, sensitively supported by the choir.

Particularly effective moments included the altos taking the melody in ‘On My Own’ and the soaring flute line over the finale.

Instrumental contributions were a real strength of the evening.

A simple but touching ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ led into a thrilling instrumental medley from ‘Wicked’, featuring a striking saxophone duet, again courtesy of Nicole and Rainer.

Another solo highlight from Stephanie followed with ‘How Could I Ever Know’ from ‘The Secret Garden’ (aptly the only song I was not familiar with from the whole evening!), followed by a deeply felt ‘Send in the Clowns’.

The concert ended with a generous Andrew Lloyd Webber medley, full of character and variety.

From the driving energy of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and a grin‑filled ‘Mr Mistoffelees’, through a lovely choral and solo ‘Memory’, to a gospel‑tinged ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’, the choir clearly relished every moment.

A relaxed ‘Love Changes Everything’ led to an exciting and confident finale with ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.

With the accomplished accompaniment from pianist Angela Morecroft and inspired leadership from Marcus Capel throughout, ‘Magic of the Musicals’ was a fitting celebration of the enduring strength of Minehead and District Choral Society.

LJP

A PUBLIC talk entitled ‘Facing Challenges – Dealing with Life’s Ups and Downs’ is to be given in Minehead next week by Lama Tsering Paldron, from the Bodhicharya Buddhist Group.

It will take place at 7.30 pm in Townsend House on Saturday, May 9.

The Bodhicharya Buddhist Group aims to advance the understanding and practice of the Buddhist faith and philosophy.

Tsering Paldron, who was born in Portugal, discovered Tibetan Buddhism in 1973 at the age of 19 in Brussels and started her spiritual journey.

During the 1980s Tsering completed a traditional three-year retreat in France under the guidance of two great masters, Dudjom Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and also under the supervision of Pema Wangyal Rinpoche.

She has, and continues to receive, teachings from many Lamas of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

For the past 25 years, Tsering has been travelling and teaching Buddhism and meditation and has written a number of books on the subjects, mainly in Portuguese, including a children’s book in English called, ‘The Adventures of Tashi, the Tibetan Cricket’ which is also available in French and German.

She gives regular courses, seminars, talks, and meditation classes around the world and runs Bodhicharya Portugal.

More information about the Townsend House event can be obtained by calling 01643 841310

or emailing [email protected].

NHS Somerset is reminding people to plan ahead and make sure they have ordered their repeat prescriptions in time, ahead of this weekend’s May Bank Holiday.

The easiest and quickest way to order repeat medicine is via the NHS App or GP Online Services which patients can do from the comfort of tgheir own home.

If anybody becomes unwell over the bank holiday it is important to remember there are services ready to provide support, depending on the healthcare need.

Community pharmacists are qualified health professionals who can offer expert advice on many minor ailments and conditions.

As well as being able to support people with a range of common problems such as coughs, colds, aches, and pains, people can also get treatment for seven common conditions directly from their local pharmacy.

Details of pharmacies open during the bank holiday are on the NHS website.

Parents whose child is unwell should check Somerset’s HANDi App - full of advice to help with everything from high temperatures to vomiting and diarrhea.

There is also more information on the NHS Somertset parent zone page.

For urgent health concerns, medical advice can be obtained 24/7 by calling NHS 111 or using the 111 online service.

It has trained professionals who can direct people to the appropriate care for their needs.

For those needing emergency or urgent dental care, patients can also contact NHS 111 which will be able to direct them to their nearest dentist who can offer an urgent NHS appointment.

Minehead Urgent Treatment Centre is recommended for urgent, non-life-threatening conditions and injuries such as sprains, fractures and burns.

A SPRING plant sale is being held on Sunday, May 10, by Dunster Village Gardens Trust and Dunster Horticultural Society, which are working together this year.

The groups are hoping for lovely weather so that visitors can enjoy seeing the village garden at its summer best.

The sale is being held to help to raise funds for both organisations.

It will be open from 11 am to 4 pm with a large variety of plants available, and refreshments on hand, too.

THE Flexercize class meets every Tuesday afternoon in the Watchet Salvation Army Hall and, during their tea break, they collect money for vicarious charities.

This month, the donation of £50 went to the Forget Me Not Café, which is for people living with dementia in the local area.

Margaret Tatham, who was there to thank the class and collect the money, said: “We are so grateful for gifts like this.

“We are saving up now for our next railway trip to Minehead so it will be a great help.”

Anybody who wants to join the Flexercize class for good health and wellbeing through gentle, low impact, chair-based exercise should contact Shirley Allnutt by calling 01984 636020.

For advice and activities for people living with dementia or other memory problems contact Margaret by emailing [email protected] or calling 07973638030.