FOR the first time in Somerset, more than 6,000 pupils and staff from schools across the region came together as one big family for a time of shared reflection and celebration.

Joining from classrooms and school halls stretching from Timberscombe, on Exmoor, to Combe Down, in Bath, children from 47 schools in the Diocese of Bath and Wells united online to share in the good news of Christmas.

Reflecting on the Joy of Christmas, pupils were invited to share what brings them joy.

Answers poured into the live chat almost instantly - family, presents, Christmas lunch, sharing, chocolate, Christmas films, Santa, food, hot chocolate, and much more, creating a lively picture of festive excitement across the diocese.

The collective worship was led by the Bishop of Bath and Wells the Rt Rev Michael Beasley.

He told pupils: “To see so many young people gathered together, each in their own schools, yet united in heart and purpose, is a reminder of the hope and joy at the centre of Christmas.

“Today, we were one community, sharing the good news of Jesus.”

Bishop Michael’s reflection focused on the Christmas message from the angels to the shepherds gathered in the fields outside Bethlehem.

He encouraged the children to consider what it means to be an angel today – a messenger of God, bringing God’s message of hope, and love to the world.

The worship also featured readings from pupils from Hugh Sexey Middle School, near Wedmore, and a musical highlight saw all 6,084 participants form a virtual choir as children and staff joined in singing a new hymn, ‘Give it up for Christmas’ by Nick and Becky Drake.

Speaking after the event, diocese assistant director of education Cheryl Govier said: “It was a privilege to gather our schools together for this time of collective worship, helping our small rural schools, as well as our larger town schools, feel part of something together.

“The time together created an exciting buzz, with responses flowing in the chat, lots of waving and smiling faces and an opportunity to reflect on the Christmas message.”

More online collective worship opportunities are planned for the New Year, offering schools continued opportunities to gather, celebrate, and grow together as a diocesan community.

The diocese stretches from Portishead in the north of Somerset to Crewkerne in the south, Minehead in the west, and Frome in the east.

Bishop Michael, three archdeacons, 300 clergy, 558 churches, 180 schools, 493 parishes, 150 chaplaincies, and 370 lay readers serve in the region of one million people.

THE tally of funds raised from Watchet’s first Santa fun run for the War Memorial Recreation Ground charity came to slightly more than £1,000.

The event was possible with support from WACET, the War Memorial Ground committee and funding from Somerset Association of Local Councils via Watchet Town Council.

It will now be an annual event.

Discussions are now also being held about holding a maritime themed fancy dress fun run in the summer, in the hope of gaining more funds to help keep the ground and its pavilion going.

Judging by the brilliant support from the community for this Santa run despite the weather, it might be fun to do a coastal themed pirates and sailors event in 2026 to help the charity

Eighty-six-year-old Val Norman receiving a medal for most sponsorship money raised from the Santa fun run and Tom Nicholas Wright ran the fastest 10 laps.

THE Wootton Courtenay Carol Service will be held at 6 pm on Sunday, December 21 in the village’s All Saints’ Church.

Six lessons and some poems, read by friends and neighbours, and carols sung by everybody, all tell the Nativity story – a story villagers have been told ‘since we were knee high to a donkey but which never gets old’.

Also, this year, Wootton Courtenay’s natural voice singing group Moor Harmony, who were missed last year, will be joining the service to sing four seasonal songs, led by Claire Stronach.

To end the Christmas event, a senior villager will read the last page of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ – as good today as it was in 1843.

The collection from the service is for three children’s charities - The Exmoor Youth Project, Children’s Hospice South West, and the Children’s Society.

Drinks and nibbles will follow the service.

A Christmas Eve late communion service will also be held at 11.30 pm.

THE Loyal Vacation Lodge no.6209 held a carol service and three-course Christmas meal at the lodge in Station Road, Wiveliscombe, on Saturday (December 13).

More than 70 people attended, of which a significant number were members of the local community, in addition to lodge members and their families.

A carol service was presided over by Rev Jamie Fox, of St Andrew’s Church, with carols played by the lodge band.

Money raised during the evening was split between charity funds and the lodge building fund.

Loyal Vacation will be holding a New Year’s Eve celebration and other events in the New Year, including a folk music night and murder mystery evening.

All events can be booked by visiting the lodge website.

LAST week, the Forget me not Cafe members celebrated Christmas with a wonderful meal in the Sanctuary, Watchet, prepared and cooked by much loved local chef Iorweth Jones.

There were crackers and presents as well as the traditional turkey with all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding.

Watchet and the Quantocks Dementia Action Alliance’s Margaret Tatham said: “Many thanks to Watchet Baptist Church for allowing use of their premises over the year, to Iorweth, and to all those who attended the Watchet and the Quantocks DAA fund-raising activities which paid for this event and others during 2025.”

FOLLOWING a thorough external assessment over the summer, Timberscombe Village Hall Committee has announced it has once again retained Hallmarks one, two, and three - level three being the highest possible.

Timberscombe was the first village hall in West Somerset to achieve a Hallmark three in 2007 and the committee is proud to have retained it for 18 years.

A spokesperson said: “It is testament to the hard work of the village hall committee that we have been able to do so.

“Hallmark is a nationally recognised quality assurance scheme which is open to any village or community hall management committee.”

The award aims to support, establish, and reward good practice.

The spokesperson said: “The village hall is always on the look out for new ideas to keep the hall vibrant and responsive to the needs of the village, so if you feel like getting involved on the village hall committee please respond.

“We meet just six times each year.”

LAST weekend, 40 brave charity swimmers sporting Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and even a Christmas pudding hat took the plunge at Vobster Quay’s Christmas Cracker Chill Swim.

Together, they raised £1,400 for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA), helping to support the charity’s life-saving work across the two counties.

Vobster Quay, a popular scuba diving and open water swimming venue in Somerset, has been a dedicated DSAA supporter for more than 14 years, hosting festive events and raising funds through various initiatives.

Volunteers Helen and Nic Jefferies, along with the charity’s mascot Dasher, were on hand to join in the fun.

In the year to the end of March, 2025, DSAA flew 2,954 missions, costing an average of £3,500 each.

AT this time of year all around the world, members of Amnesty International are writing letters to the authorities and sending solidarity messages to individuals featured in the annual Write for Rights Campaign.

Members of the Minehead Amnesty Group met in November and again in December to write letters and cards.

One of the cases is Sai Zaw Thaike, a photojournalist in Myanmar, who was arrested in 2023 after documenting the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha.

Sentenced to 20 years of hard labour, he has been tortured and held in solitary confinement simply for exposing the truth.

Another case is Sonia Dahmani, a Tunisian lawyer, who was arbitrarily detained in May, 2024, for peacefully expressing her views.

Sonia is one of dozens of people targeted for criticising the government, and her case reflects the sharp decline of free expression and judicial independence in Tunisia.

At their get-together in November, Minehead members wrote more than 20 letters, and some took case details away with them to write more letters from home.

A month later, to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Amnesty members were joined by friends at the Quaker Meeting House, in Bancks Street, to sign more letters and cards.

More information about the Minehead Amnesty Group can be found on its website or by calling 01643 821209.