West Somerset villages put on traditional summer fund-raising fetes

THE fete season in West Somerset is well underway with two more village events held at the weekend in Nettlecombe and Sampford Brett.

In Nettlecombe, the church fete on Saturday (June 8) drew crowds of local residents who took advantage of the sunny weather to attend the annual event.

The fete, held in the grounds of Nettlecombe Court, raised thousands of pounds to support the upkeep of the parish’s Church of St Mary the Virgin and is its the largest fund-raiser of the year.

As well as the traditional bric-a-brac and tombola stalls, coconut shy, and homemade cakes and jams, the fete featured a clothes sale and children’s games.

The entertainment included Malcolm the Magician and live music, while a Pimms and cider bar was also popular.

A plant stall inside the church featured unsold plants donated by Home Start West Somerset from a plant sale it held recently as well as garden tools given by locals.

St Mary’s forms part of the Quantock Towers benefice, which has been expanded to include Sampford Brett, where another traditional village fete was also taking place in The Old Rectory Gardens on Saturday.

It was organised by Sampford Brett Activities Group (SBAG), which distributes the money it raises among various local organisations at its annual meeting in November.

Among the stalls were Watchet Hedgehogs, Exmoor Honey, and a guess the weight of the cake competition.

Entertainment included Taunton Ukelele Strummers Club and a performance by Sebastian Tesouro on guitar and Ben Modley on flute.