DANESFIELD School is invested in working with the local community. Recently pupils from Year 8 enjoyed visiting Croft House Care Home, in Williton, chatting and engaging with the residents in various activities whilst sharing juice and biscuits. The children were praised by both residents and staff for being kind and caring and for showing such maturity.

This is part of a weekly visit programme working in partnership with Croft House.

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MINEHEAD Rotary Club held the first ever Easter Bunny Fun Run on the morning of Easter Monday to raise funds for Rotary's youth activities in West Somerset.

After a rainy early morning, the sky cleared in time for the start at 11am and the enthusiastic field, which comprised girls and boys of all ages, set off to run or walk the 2km or 4km route along Minehead's seafront. It was great fun, everyone looked fetching in their bunny ears and the event raised more than £300.

There are lots of rabbit ears left for next year's event, which promises to be even bigger. Minehead Rotary Club would like to extend sincere thanks to everyone who came and took part and to everyone who contributed to making it go so smoothly. Special thanks go to Butlin's who sent two lovely Redcoats to help us, to Snazaroo who kindly donated face paints to enable us give the participants their bunny noses and whiskers, and Mr Sweet's Kiosk on the seafront who donated bottles of water for the participants.

The club is now looking forward to our next fundraising event, our Quiz and Raffle at Minehead Rugby Club on Friday, May 16. Full details are on the website at www.mineheadrotaryclub.co.uk.

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FOLLOWING the triumphant debut event last year The Concert is set to return to the Regal Theatre on Saturday, May 17, at 7.30pm.

As before, 30 selected singers form a choir with soloists, and an orchestra of 18 excellent local players accompany them, and play some pieces on their own.

Conductor David Pitts, said: “We were thrilled at the response from the audience: the number who came, their enthusiasm on the night, and the generosity of their donations to Cancer Research UK – over £4,700.

“The format is very similar this year – a mix of numbers from musicals, other light music, and a couple of classical pieces. All in a very relaxed, joyous atmosphere.”

Tickets, from the Box Office, cost £10 with further opportunities to donate to Cancer Research on the night. It promises to be an event not to miss.

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ON Saturday, May 31, at 4pm, the village church of Timberscombe will be the setting for a rare historic service – not recalled in living memory – when a professionally assembled choir will sing Choral Evensong as the highlight of the patronal festival. The Feast of St Petrock, the fifth century Cornish saint after whom the village church is named, has a designated date of June 4 in the church calendar to celebrate his life and sainthood. Our patronal festival marks an ancient tradition which has periodic revivals like for most churches, as it depends on the enthusiasm and energy of many volunteers to make it happen. In previous years St Petrock’s Timberscombe has held many different types of village celebration including sheep shearing, blacksmithing, spinning and other forms of traditional country customs. Last year the patronal festival highlighted the installation of the wonderful village-created reredos to hang behind the altar, a result of more than 20 villagers working together to make an enduring representation of life and places in Timberscombe.

The professional choir for this special occasion comprises four highly regarded singers, with Thomas Elwin singing tenor, Richard Smith singing bass, Olivia Hugh-Jones singing soprano and Nicola Semple singing alto. Kate Hart will play the organ.

Archdeacon Emeritus Elwin Cockett and his wife Susan recently retired and have now moved permanently to Somerset. Their links with Timberscombe meant that the Churchwardens were alerted to the fact that the Choral Evensong Trust were spearheading a national strategy to revitalise the tradition of Choral Evensong to as many churches as possible where it coincides with a patronal festival. The offer of a one-off grant to help defray the costs of attracting high quality singers and fostering a sense of community by drawing in those who do not normally visit a church is a powerful incentive to action.

For those who may not know what Evensong offers, the Choral Evensong Trust describe it like this: “The high proportion of music in Choral Evensong is arguably what distinguishes it from other church services. You do not have to pay to come to hear this choral music, performed live to a high standard. The music carries us beyond the limitations of human words towards those things we cannot articulate. The Magnificat is a joyful song, the Nunc Dimittis a sung plea, the Psalms pure praise. Music's communication of these feelings is immediate.”

A successful application has meant that the planned village BBQ with music provided by Dunster based ‘Minnie Hates the Hoover’, licensed bar, and family entertainments will take place early afternoon for villagers, but with the fantastic addition of Choral Evensong to attract a wider audience from Exmoor. This might even lead to the formation of a locally based association of singers to continue the Evensong tradition. You don’t have to be a staunch churchgoer to come along and appreciate superlative singing in a historic and friendly village setting.

Tickets are not necessary but it is advised to arrive early as our mostly fifteenth century Grade I Listed church has limited seating. Afterwards refreshments will be offered, supported also by the Choral Evensong Trust. If you have not experienced Choral Evensong before this is a wonderful opportunity to access quality singing, and if you have, you will know why you must be there.

We do look forward to welcoming you. More information on www.timberscombevillage.com.

Marion Jeffrey and Kate Hart – Joint Churchwardens, St Petrock’s, Timberscombe.

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THE Wiveliscombe Community Centre has been awarded a grant of £20,000 by the National Lottery Fund towards the cost of employing a part time administrator for two years. Paul Tam, the chairman, said that this input from the National Lottery is most welcome, following the refurbishment of the centre several years ago, which has more than doubled the bookings and associated workload on the volunteers. The position will shortly be advertised, with a starting date in September, which is when the bookings increase after the summer holidays.

The centre still needs input from volunteers to manage the many aspects of a thriving community hub and we would welcome anyone who has some time to assist in both practical and back up roles, to join our team.

More information on the centre can be found at wiveliscombecommunitycentre.co.uk, or by contacting the chairman or secretary through [email protected].

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SOMERSET Sight, your local charity which supports over 3,000 blind and partially sighted people across Somerset, needs you to help find the killer in Murder at The Big Top.

Join us for an evening full of laughter, intrigue, and the odd death at our fundraising murder mystery evening on Friday, June 27, from 6.30pm-9.30pm, performed by local group At 2K Theatre.

The action will take place in the garden of Northfield House, 51 Staplegrove Road, Taunton TA1 1DG (weather permitting).

Tickets cost £25 and includes a light supper and a prize for the correct guess drawn at random.

To book your seat/s for this please contact the office on 01832 333818, or go to https://www.somersetsight.org.uk/payments-page.

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IN celebration of Somerset Day there will be cider tasting at the Buttercross Community Orchard, St Georges Street, Dunster on Sunday, May 11, from 3pm. Please bring your own home brewed cider and apple juice for all to sample and compare with our own Dunster varieties. There will be a prize for the winning brew.

To accompany the samples Somerset cheese, apple juice from our own orchard and cake will be on offer. Free admission. All welcome. Donations always welcomed.

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