Community News from across West Somerset

THE Minehead and Exmoor Music Festival kicked off with a rapturous audience response to the Young Musicians’ recital last Saturday (July 25).

Thirteen-year-old Elliott Coles wowed listeners with his virtuosity on the trumpet, while the audience were spellbound both by the lyrical soprano voice of 18-year-old Betsy Chow and her dynamic playing of the cello.

The festival finale takes place on Saturday (August 1) in Minehead’s Regal Theatre, with the festival orchestra showcasing the much-loved ‘Buckaroo Holiday’ from Copland’s ‘Rodeo’, plus the exhilarating ‘El Amor Brujo’ by Manuel de Falla, and Rachmaninov’s magnificent 2nd Symphony.

THERE were some worries about entries for Roadwater Fete’s produce show because of the continued dry weather.

However, there were plenty of entries in all flower and produce classes which were all up to the show’s usual high standard.

Also well supported were the classes for baking, preserves, handicrafts, photography, and children’s categories.

Organisers reported the fete was a spectacular success, raising the highest-ever total of nearly £10,000.

Next year’s fete will be on Saturday, July 24, at 2 pm.

Any constructive suggestions and ideas for it will be welcomed and can be sent via the village website or to [email protected].

Anybody who would like to help next year can also send their contact details.

The first fete meeting will be in March next year in the Valiant Soldier.

The village hall and recreation ground are used increasingly for events and meetings and provide a beautiful venue, with a marquee used to house the produce show and for other village occasions.

RESULTS (1,2,3 order)

Grow Your Own

20 gooseberries with stalks - Gerald Beaver, Andy Maddison; 20 raspberries or loganberries - Gerald Beaver, Jayne Cornish, Andy Maddison; A dish of currants with stalks - Jayne Cornish, Andy Maddison; Any other fruit - Liz Singer, Nancy Tickle, Nigel Grabham; 4 sticks of rhubarb - Jane Takle, Gerald Beaver, Jayne Cornish; 6 tomatoes with stalk - Jayne Cornish, Nigel Grabham, Gerald Beaver; 1 lettuce - Annie Channer, Nigel Grabham; 1 cucumber - Dennis Takle, Annie Channer, Nigel Grabham; 4 beetroot - Nigel Grabham, Matt Parker, Andy Maddison; 6 potatoes any one variety - Nigel Grabham, Andy Maddison, Gerald Beaver; 3 onions - Gerald Beaver, C Williams, Andy Maddison; 3 courgettes - Katie Berry, Nancy Marshall, Gerald Beaver; 12 pods of french beans - Katie Berry, Nigel Grabham, Philip White; 6 runner beans - Gerald Beaver, Nigel Grabham, Nancy Tickle; Any other vegetable - Gerald Beaver, Nigel Grabham, Rob Fox; Tied bunch of four or more herbs - Katie Berry, Nigel Grabham, Jayne Cornish; Longest cucumber - Jayne Cornish, Nigel Grabham; Heaviest potato - Bob Sharp, Gerald Beaver, Nigel Grabham.

Floral

Garden flowers in recyclable container - Katie Berry, Anon, Carol Prentice; Floral arrangement in a jam jar - Caroline Bradbury, Katie Berry, Carol Prentice; Table arrangement of flowers and foliage - Katie Berry, Jayne Cornish, Nigel Grabham; Jar of 5 different long-stemmed flowers - Katie Berry, Caroline Bradbury, Lynne Dunton; 5 roses any variety - Katie Berry, Jayne Cornish, Andy Maddison; 12 sweet peas single variety or mixed - Nancy Tickle, Caroline Bradbury, Annie Channer; 3 hydrangeas (single variety) - Jayne Cornish, Andy Maddison, Katie Berry; 5 dahlias any varieties - Rob Fox, Katie Berry, Andy Maddison.

Silver Challenge Cup awarded to Katie Berry.

Baking and Preserves

Victoria Sandwich Cake - Carol Prentice, Katie Berry, Sue Hole; Fruit Cake - Katie Berry; 4 rocky road - Katie Berry, Jane Takle; 4 savoury muffins - Nancy Marshall, Jenny Nethercott, Katie Berry; Jar of jam, jelly or marmalade - Susie David, Annie Channer, Jayne Cornish; Jar of chutney or pickle - Katie Berry, Nancy Tickle, Susie David.

Handicrafts

Painting/collage UK Coast path views - Janet Tindall, Jos Harrel, Peter Moss; Painting/collage/sculpture featuring people - Alex Clarke, Jayne Cornish, Jos Harral; Painting, Birds or Flying Insects - Tasmine Swallow, Lynne Dunton, Jayne Cornish; A craft item made from a book - Katie Berry, Tasmine Swallow; A twiddle muff - Lynne Dunton, Jenny Nethercott, Mo Best; Poem 12-20 lines any subject - Alex Clarke, Steph Miller, Mrs Crosslegged; 3 painted teabags - Katie Berry, Linda Bickford, Mo Best; A decorative fabric doorstop - Lynne Dunton, Mo Best, Jenny Nethercott.

Photography

Somewhere - Sally Holmes, Matt Parker, Sharné Hawkins; Someone - Ralph Hawkins, Carol Prentice, Jayne Cornish; Something - Ralph Hawkins, Jayne Cornish, Carol Prentice.

Ladies Trophy awarded to Katie Berry.

Children

Football strip design for Roadwater - Heidi Hawkins, Polly Newman, Cameron Harvey; A Decorative Mask any design - Theo Howker, Polly Newman, Lyra Cornish; A picture of sunflowers - Lyra Cornish, Heidi Hawkins, George Short; Flash fiction 100 words, a day out - Heidi Hawkins, Jayden Cornish, Polly Newman; A creature made from a fir cone - George Short, Mia Cornish, Polly Newman; 4 chocolate brownies - Harrison Chinn, Polly Newman, Theo Howker.

Children’s Cup awarded to Heidi Hawkins and Polly Newman.

VOICES of Exmoor and Friends invited everybody along to their annual summer concert, entitled ‘Pimm’s and Performance’ on Saturday, July 18, writes Denise Ross.

The Pimm’s was certainly flowing right from the start and Dulverton Town Hall soon hummed with an air of anticipation.

The choir gave a good first impression, all seated, relaxed, and chatting sotto voce, ready for the arrival of the musical director, Amanda Taylor, and the accompanist, Joke Routledge.

The concert began with Gilbert and Sullivan’s rousing ‘The Cachucha’.

Although the choir seemed a little diffident at first, they soon relaxed into their stride.

The first-half of the concert was filled with an interesting mixture of musical styles, from the beautifully-sung harmonies of ‘The Seal Lullaby’ to more modern songs, such as ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love?’ and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You’, which the ladies had been told to ‘sing sexy’.

‘You’re Just in Love’ was a lively rendition of the popular song by Irving Berlin, which gave an ideal opportunity for audience participation.

Another popular show song was ‘Who Will Buy?’ from ‘Oliver!’, in which the choir was complemented by the flute played by Hayley Hodges.

This is a complicated piece, but the choir was attentive to Amanda’s clear direction and sang with confidence and clarity.

The first-half concluded with ‘A Flower Remembered’, a beautiful song sung to perfection.

The addition of Bernie Bettinson’s atmospheric cornet-playing made this an emotional and thought-provoking end to the first-half.

More Pimm’s flowed during the interval, contributing to a warm and convivial atmosphere among the audience.

By this point, choir confidence was in abundance and the second-half, starting with ‘Memory’ from the musical ‘Cats’, was delivered in style.

For this concert, Amanda had the inspirational idea to complement the singing with the Voices of Exmoor String Quartet - four elegant ladies with amazing skill who played beautifully.

Amanda had arranged some of the music especially to include the quartet, ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ was performed by all with great feeling and precision and ‘Benedictus’, sung from memory, was accompanied by a haunting solo cello melody gradually joined by strings, cornet, and flute.

Many of the audience were incredibly moved by both the lyrics and spine-tingling harmonies of these pieces.

The tenors and basses entertained us with ‘The Hippopotamus Song’ and, again, the audience were encouraged to join in, all gloriously revelling in the mud!

A fun arrangement of Lennon and McCartney’s ‘Penny Lane’ and a Rodgers and Hammerstein medley concluded the concert.

Rapturous applause, a closing speech from the musical director, ‘thank yous’, and gifts for the guest musicians concluded the evening.

The choir’s chosen charity this year is Exmoor Search and Rescue and donations from the concert will be given to this charity.

It was obvious that the members of the choir were thoroughly enjoying themselves, while maintaining focus, attention to diction, and a growing air of professionalism.

This concert was one of Voices of Exmoor’s best.

Well done.

VILLAGERS in Wootton Courtenay are being reminded to return their winners’ cups from last year’s flower and produce show to the village stores after the deadline was missed by a number of people.

This year’s show takes place in the village hall on Tuesday (August 4) from 2 pm to 5 pm.

It is the largest event hosted in the hall and has many different classes to suit everybody.

This year, a new section has been added just for children, which includes a ‘miniature garden’ and ‘decorated cupcakes’.

Visitors to the show will again vote for the winner in each category and a People’s Choice Cup will go to the overall winner.

A 1913 comic postcard raised a smile when it was recently donated to Minehead Museum.

It was originally sent by a visitor who had stayed in Bampton Street and described their time in Minehead as ‘delightful’.

The postcard joins other new items in the museum, which include the Minehead Harbour reopening ceremony in 1951, along with always-popular exhibits on the former pier, Punch and Judy, the hobby horse, and Butlin’s holiday camp.

During August, the museum will be open seven days a week from 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Saturday, and 11 am to 4 pm on Sundays, with free admission.