THE West Somerset Morris were out dancing and performing their home-grown Mummers Play on Boxing Day besideDunster Yarn Market.

Although the temperature was only four degrees, it was amazing to see more than 160 people in the audience.

Dancing and music commenced, followed by the play, which was centered around King George and a Turkish knight, with a doctor and his assistant Molly, plus a first responder, dealing with King George’s wounds.

It was compered by Beelzebub with other characters Elf’n Safety, Little Johnny Jack, and Father Christmas.

At the end of the act, the audience were encouraged to join in with the last dance of Bonny Green Garters.

FOR many years the Watchet Choral Society, now called Watchet Singers, has held their traditional Christmas music concert in December.

In 2025, this was held on Thursday, December 11, in Watchet Methodist Church and, as always, it was a lovely start to the Christmas festivities.

With an appreciative audience I enjoyed a pleasant evening listening to carols and Christmas songs old and new.

Music ranged from a lively Puerto Rican Song ‘Come to set us free’ to a lovely arrangement by Michael Clawson and Emily Feldberg combining the traditional ‘The First Noel’ with Pachelbel’s famous ‘Cannon’.

I particularly loved this one and hope it will become a classic and oft repeated Christmas treat.

As ever, the audience joined in with well-known hymns and there were humorous and thought-provoking readings by Sandi Fenach, David Simpson Scott, Dianne Coggins, and Ros Whellams.

The concert, ‘Noel Noel!’ was conducted energetically and enthusiastically by Emily Feldberg, with Jenny McCalmont very ably providing accompaniment on the piano.

The choir was slightly depleted in numbers by illness, but their enthusiasm was contagious and the concert captured the Christmas spirit. The evening raised more than £300 for a worthy cause, very dear to the hearts of West Somerset folk, the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, who are fund-raising for a second helicopter.

Watchet Singers begin rehearsing on January 8 for their spring concert. They practice weekly inWatchet Methodist Schoolrooms on a Thursday evening and would welcome new voices to join them, soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, no auditions required.

Singing in a group is fun and proven to have benefits for both mind and body.

Rachel Irven

A FASCINATING line-up of speakers for Wootton Courtenay Gardening Club has been arranged in the coming year.

Highlights include a sumptuous Zoom talk in February by acclaimed author Vanessa Berridge, who will be giving us a tour of the best British gardens.

John Addison will be presenting part two of his propagation tutorial in May, and in June, the head gardener in Stone Lane Gardens, in Devon, Saul Walker, will be inspiring members to ‘zhuzh’ up their shady woodland garden areas.

Chairwoman Marion Jay is also hoping to book Ken Thompson again to speak at the end of July.

His talk last year, ‘No Nettles Required’, was really enthralling and he seemed keen to come back again.

In addition, there is a series of exciting garden visits lined up, and, new for 2026, a members’ open garden afternoon on July 20.

Three club members have generously offered to give half-hour guided tours of their gardens, followed by tea and cake for all at the end.

The club also hosts a seedling and plant swap in late spring, where members gather to swap their spare plants and, again, make the most of the refreshments.

Membership forms are available in the village shop now.

Annual membership is just £10 per person.

Fill in the form, add payment (cash or cheque) and return it either to the shop or drop it into the postbox on the inner wall of the porch at Crockford House.

Alternatively, people can download the form, print it, and return as above, with payment, in an envelope.

Garden visits are not included in the membership price.

The club warmly welcomes new members, whether gardening newbies or green-fingered wizards.

THE whole village of Timberscombe has been thanked for residents’ wonderful support at the Christingle and carol service Christmas events.

The first Christingle held by the Church of England was in 1968 to raise funds for The Children’s Society, but the tradition can be traced back to 1747 in Germany.

The word ‘Christingle’ first appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1986.

The Children’s Society estimates that about one million people now attend a Christingle service in the UK and the service still raises money for children’s charities.

This was the reason St Petrock’s Church split villagers’ generous donations between The Children’s Society and Save the Children.

This year, £524.28 was raised between the two services and the two charities have each been sent £262.14.

Parochial church council treasurer Marion Moncrieff said: “A wonderful total.

“Thank you once again.”

THE League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital has raised close to £1,000 through a collection at Taunton Races on December 30.

League chairman Nigel Handbury said: “It was the busiest meet of the year for the racecourse and a fantastic day for us.

“We are so grateful to people who gave so generously and to the course itself for allowing us to collect on the day.

“It means a lot to our charity.”

The league of friends, which is one of the oldest charities in Taunton, set up more than 60 years ago, is currently trying to raise about £1 million to fund and support a specialist robot to assist with spinal surgery in the hospital.

League president Clinton Rogers said: “This is a massive campaign for us and it is so important that we support spinal surgery at the hospital.

“This piece of kit is state of the art and Musgrove will be one of only a few hospitals in the UK to have it.”

JAMIE Bonar, from 1st Exmoor Scouts, has been selected to represent Somerset at the 2027 World Scout Jamboree in Poland.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Jamie to join tens of thousands of scouts from across the globe to promote peace, adventure, and international friendship.

Jamie is working hard to fund-raise for his trip and a portion of his fees also helps sponsor scouts from developing nations, ensuring the jamboree is a truly inclusive global event.

Next month, Jamie will have a pitch set up on February 21 with 3D printed objects such as fidget toys, dragons, eggs, animals, and more, in Minehead Methodist Church, The Avenue, where people can go along and say ‘hi’ and support a local scout, and help get him to Poland.

ON New Year’s Day, more than 100 determined supporters welcomed 2026 by plunging into the icy waters off Minehead beach in aid of St Margaret’s Hospice Care.

The fearless fund-raisers braved bitterly cold wind to take part in the much-loved New Year’s Day Dip, raising money for the hospice.

Despite the challenging temperature, the atmosphere on the beach was electric.

Families, friends, and passers-by turned out in force to cheer on the dippers.

The beach felt busier than ever, creating a real sense of community as the countdown to the plunge began.

With an enthusiastic countdown led by events manager Shauna Booker, excitement briefly got the better of two eager participants, who dashed into the sea a few moments early.

They received laughter and cheers from the crowd before the rest of the group followed them into the chilly water.

As always, supporters dazzled in fancy dress including a bunch of bananas, a group of reindeers who had trotted all the way from Oxford, and countless Hawaiian skirts brightening up the wintery scene.

So far, the total raised is more than £2,700, with more fund-raising coming in.

All funds will go directly toward St Margaret’s Hospice, helping the charity continue to provide free, compassionate care to people with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones across Somerset.

The event was made possible thanks to the bravery of the Somerset community and the generosity and support of local partners.

St Margaret’s extends its thanks to event sponsor Mademoiselle Desserts, to APEX for providing essential medical support and lifeguards, Dana Fish and chip shop, and to the many volunteers who gave their time to ensure the event ran safely and smoothly.

The hospice would also like to thank everybody who went along to watch, support, and encourage the dippers, creating such a warm start to the year despite the freezing temperature.

The New Year’s Day Dip continues to be a firm favourite in the St Margaret’s Hospice events calendar, bringing people together to start the year with adrenaline, kindness, and community spirit, all in support of local hospice care.

For more information about St Margaret’s Hospice Care or to get involved in future events, visit its website.