East Coker Society Newsletter
|
|
January
2006 –
Free Issue No 121
Chair: John Sugg 863435
Newsletter Editor: Lesley
Lindsay 862868
Secretary: Sarah Owen 862218
Treasurer: Keith
Helliar 863700
Happy New Year!
30 YEARS OF
THE NEWSLETTER
This Newsletter
marks the 30th anniversary of the first publication produced by Derek
Lumley. The Society and Newsletter have
evolved over the years with members serving various periods on the
committee. We have none of the original
members still serving but have a good nucleus of people working to improve and
maintain standards in a village which we sometimes forget how fortunate we are
to be part of.
The Society
carries out various projects throughout the year including the Christmas
Bazaar, historical exhibitions, and Jubilee & VE/VJ Day celebrations. We also look after the Paddock in the heart
of the village, supply and maintain the notice boards, assist other groups
within the community but the main thing the Society is known for is the quarterly
Newsletter.
In the Parish
Plan the comments were mainly favourable towards the Society but nearly
everyone had a good word for the Newsletter.
We are able to include in it any relevant articles, features, calendar
dates etc. Your input is greatly
appreciated as an interesting publication is only as good as its content, so
please if you think of something of interest e-mail Lesley, it's that easy.
Whilst talking
'technical' it would be a great saving if more households would receive their
copy by e-mail all you have to do is let Lesley have your details which will
remain confidential.
This
anniversary gives an opportunity to show some appreciation for the villagers
who make it happen. Firstly Martin Wells
and all his delivery people, Sally Jackson for her proof-reading skills and last
but not least Lesley Lindsay who has produced the Newsletter and the website
with enthusiasm flair and dedication.
If anyone feels
that they would like to get involved with any part of the Society, please
contact me or any Society member.
So here's to
the next 30 years!
John Sugg,
Chairman East Coker Society
30 YEARS
AGO
In the very first Newsletter
it is interesting to note the following:
'Gardening Club – It is
proposed to form a gardening club, if there is sufficient support. Names and addresses are needed by the end of
February of those interested, then, if the response is good, a meeting will be
arranged to discuss plans'.
The Gardening Club is going
strong today!
RECEIVE THE
NEWSLETTER VIA E-MAIL
In the future if you would
like to receive the Newsletter via e-mail, please e-mail Lesley Lindsay with
your name and postal address so you can be removed from our delivery
lists. Your e-mail address will be
kept entirely private, with no cross-referencing of other people's e-mails. We greatly appreciate delivery by e-mail as
it saves money on our printing costs.
For those already receiving
the Newsletter by e-mail, please can you e-mail Lesley if you change your
e-mail address. Thank you.
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
A big thank you to everyone
who came to the Christmas Bazaar, we made £341, and this will help with the
printing costs of the Newsletter.
A special thank you must go
to Carol Blackmore, without whom the Bazaar would not take place. A thank you must also go to Father Christmas,
who stopped off in East Coker on his way to the North Pole. Last but not least is a thank you to the
helpers and tea-makers in the kitchen.
BRITISH SUMMER
TIME BEGINS – Sunday 26 March
Just a reminder that the
clocks go forward one hour.
Village Clubs and Organisations
EAST COKER
KEEP FIT CLUB
The club celebrated 25
years of serving Christmas Charity lunches on the 11 December 2005. The first was on Sunday 6 December 1981 when
102 meals were served at a cost of £2.25 each.
The current organiser is Mary Ashley and now over 200 meals are cooked
by willing helpers in their homes and the committee and friends always donate
the desserts, which are all home-made.
The turkeys have been carved since the first lunch by Gerry Smith who
has been ably supported over the years, firstly by Brian Vaux and now by Cecil
Turner. The wine has been provided by
David Pryor for many years, and the team of waiters and waitresses do an expert
job. Let's look forward to the next
twenty-five years!
The club has raised many
thousands of pounds for charitable causes and the last lunch raised
£1,154. It was heard that a generator
was urgently needed for a small orphanage of twelve children in Romania so an
amount was given specifically for that.
There is still some more money to be donated to good causes.
Keep Fit meets on a Tuesday at 6.00pm in the East
Coker Hall and anyone is welcome to join.
Mary Ashley 862263
EAST COKER
PAVILION FUND
You may have thought that
the Pavilion Committee had been resting on its laurels since the spectacular
success of the 1940s Evening in June last year – but you would have been
wrong!!
It is true that there were
fewer high profile fund-raising events during the tail end of 2005. This was because the Committee has been
concentrating its efforts on investigating and securing funding for the
Pavilion from numerous grant-making bodies.
We have submitted some applications to, and met with representatives of,
some of these grant-making bodies, including South Somerset District Council
and the Football Foundation, and all early indications are very positive and
encouraging.
We will, however, be back
on the social scene again this year.
Events already planned include a Food Fair on the Paddock on 29 April,
quizzes and the third annual cycle ride.
We also have calendars for sale at the reduced price of £2.50.
Progress is steadily being
made and the East Coker Pavilion Committee look forward to enjoying your
continued support during 2006.
QUIZ NIGHT
Could you and your friends
be the Brains of East Coker?
Some keen quizzers have
laid down a challenge to all the clubs and societies in the village to prove
themselves in the Inaugural East Coker Quiz.
This event will take place on Saturday 11 March at East Coker Hall;
doors open at 7.00pm and the quiz will start at 7.30pm. Teams will consist of eight people, and the
prize will be a trophy. We are hoping
that this could become an annual event.
We are also hoping that
each club or society in the village will enter a team, but groups of friends or
colleagues are equally welcome to enter a team too.
Tickets are £7.50 per
person, which will include a fish and chip supper. There will be a licensed bar, and tea and
coffee will also be available.
For tickets and information
please call 863435.
COKER 400
CLUB
The winners in the October draw were £100 Miss K Best,
£50 Mrs D Dibben, £40 Mrs T Dunningham, £30 Mr J Sharp, £20 Mrs G Mead, £15 Mr
D Jenkins, £10 Mr R Prichard, £10 Mr R Mainprize
EAST COKER
W.I.
We meet every last Thursday of the month at the East
Coker Hall at 7.30pm. January sees the
start of our year. We continue to have
interesting speakers and demonstrators and in the coming year we will have a
‘hands on’ craft demonstration as well as talks, on women’s health, the history
of the radio and the Fern Animal Sanctuary.
Slides of East Coker through the years, and illustrated talks on Lyme
Regis and seaside piers also feature.
Later in the year we will hold a fun Open Evening
which will be advertised nearer the time.
We have also scheduled a jumble sale at the East Coker Hall on Saturday
11 February, admission 20p, and run whist drives, open to all, at the Hall on
the third Thursday of the month. Please
see diary events. All new members very
welcome.
Joyce Pryor
EAST COKER
WINE CIRCLE
By the time this Newsletter goes to print the East
Coker Wine Circle's traditional theme party will be been held, so we must look
ahead to the remainder of the group's programme. This should prove to be of considerable
interest to members, whether or not they make wine.
Among the subjects will be 'It seemed like a good idea
at the time' by Roy Jones, a former police officer (February); 'Twenty -two
years on the road with Sooty' by Connie Creighton; BEM, which promises to be
quite humorous (April); and 'Corkscrew, a thing of beauty' by J Ericson
(May). The March meeting will see the
return of the very popular 'Call my wine bluff' (blind tasting) with an
American supper. June will see the end
of the current year with the annual meeting followed by a commercial wine
tasting, hopefully by Marks & Spencer.
9 July is a date for the diary – the Circle's annual BBQ lunch. Further details nearer the date, but this
event is open to friends and acquaintances of Wine Circle members.
David Pryor
EAST COKER
HALL PHONE NUMBERS
There is an error in the
telephone directory listing the telephone number of East Coker Hall Bookings it
should be 01935 862087 The listings in Yellow Pages and Thomson's
Directories are correct. Please make a
note of the correct number in your personal directory. The number 863786 is no
longer available.
R Allwood
EAST COKER
POETRY GROUP
The winner of the 2005 East Coker Poetry Competition
was Ros Treloar who lives in Australia and entered a strong and vivid poem
called 'Love Sears Cultural Memory'. She
visited and lived in the village several years ago and has some deep memories
of that time. Other poems submitted were
read by those who had written them, and as usual it was a relaxed and friendly
evening.
By the time you read this we shall have had a
Christmas Poetry Party, with wine and mince pies, hosted by Amelia Bennett and
Catherine Simmons.
Programme for 2006
Tuesday 24 January: Gaie Vickers from Batcombe will
read some of her work 'Pictures from an Exhibition' – which will include some
slides.
Tuesday 21 February: the two Johns – Darling and
Burgess will entertain us with 'An Evening of Humorous Verse'.
All are welcome; the meetings are in the Apple Loft of
the Helyar Arms, 7.30pm.
For more information, please contact Joyce Best 862317
or David Cloke 862623
EAST COKER
GARDENING CLUB
Programme
for Spring 2006
All meetings take place on
the second Thursday in the month in the East Coker Hall at 7.30pm.
9
February Frances Jones talks about 'Arboriculture'
9
March Chris Hunter discusses 'Growing your own Vegetables'
13 April Talk by a member
of staff of Brimsmore Garden Centre on 'Pests and Diseases'
Advance Notice
11 May Open Evening. The speaker will be David Howard, Head
Gardener for the Prince of Wales, Highgrove, talking on 'Highgrove, the
Garden'. Further details from Rachel
Blow 862849
Chair: Olga Clifford 862665, Programme Secretary: Rachel Blow 862849,
Treasurer: Stan Shayler 420291
EAST COKER
SHORT MAT BOWLS
CLUB
We are looking for new members. Either new or experienced bowlers of any age
would be made very welcome at our friendly club. We meet on Tuesday evenings from 7.30 – 10
00pm and Friday afternoons from 2.30pm – 4.30pm at the East Coker Hall.
In March / April we will be holding an Open Day and if
you would like to give bowling a try please come and join us.
Look out for our posters!
Contact Mr G Dudden 864222
TIME TO
SHARE
Once upon a time a young
Brownie in our village wanted to gain her Hostess Badge. She had an idea! 'Let's invite all the local villagers to a
tea party in our garden, a grand get-together sort of thing', and so with this
in mind she set about the task of making it happen.
With a band of willing
helpers, especially her mother who was crucial to the whole exercise, she
toured the village from end to end issuing invitations. On the morning of the great day, with some
trepidation and prayers for favourable weather, sandwiches were cut, cream teas
arranged and tables and chairs set up. A near military operation. It deserved to be a success and it was; so
much so that like Oliver – 'more was wanted, please'.
And so it was that 'Time to
Share' was born. What was intended as a
one-off event continues today some 30 years on.
The venue has changed from a landscaped garden to a village hall in
Halves Lane, but the format remains very much the same; encouraging community
spirit and friendship.
Of course, after so many
years as one would expect, very few of the original party-goers are still with
us, but Flora Duley, the founder-member and President, Joyce Griffin and Gladys
Russell continue to attend the fortnightly meetings whenever they can.
Every year a new and varied
programme of events is planned and orchestrated by the Chairman Alison Charles,
assisted by a strong and supportive committee.
Meetings in the East Coker
Hall include invited speakers, slide shows, bring & buy sales, bazaars,
handicraft competitions and displays, and once a year a birthday party,
Christmas party and the occasional Tea Dance.
In addition there are trips to the sea, the countryside, the canal and
the theatre, with carol singing at St Michael's Church to finish off the year.
Within the main group a
Singing and Drama Group was formed, which in the past had 'trod the boards' at
the Octagon Theatre and Westlands' Social Club as well as our own stage at the East
Coker Hall, and it continues to sing at venues in and around Yeovil, with
Alison on the keyboard and Jean Bicknell keeping the choir in tune.
Membership, to date is
strong and anyone is welcome to visit and hopefully become a future
member, Give Alison a ring on 863137,
come alone or with a friend, and you are assured of a warm welcome and help
with transport if required; not forgetting the tea and cakes. Who knows you might get a chance to trip down
memory lane with an old neighbour or colleague you've lost contact with over
the years. It does happen.
How true that 'big oaks
from little acorns grow' – when Time to Share can grow from a Brownie Hostess
Badge!
That
number to ring again is 863137!
EAST COKER
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
The East Coker Branch was
founded 75 years ago and will be celebrating this event during 2006. Details to follow later.
Any enquiries, please
contact Marilyn Smith 427846
The Churches
ST.
MICHAEL'S CHURCH
1
March Ash Wednesday 6.00pm – Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes
Saturday 11 March Lent Lunch
at The Vicarage 12 noon – 2.00pm, soup, bread & cheese. Donations towards Children's Fiji Project
26 March Mothering Sunday –
10.00am Family Service
9 April Palm Sunday,
Procession of Palms, with choir, from Vicarage from 9.50am
13 April Maundy Thursday –
6.30pm Eucharist – Last Supper, The Watch
14 April Good Friday –
10.00am Stations of the Cross
15 April Easter Saturday –
6.30pm Service of Light and New Fire
16 April Easter Day – 8.00am
Holy Communion, 10.00am Family Service
19 April Parish Church AGM
7.30pm East Coker Hall
ALL SAINTS’
CHURCH SUTTON BINGHAM
5
February 9.00am Holy Communion 19
February 11.30am Holy Communion
5
March 9.00am Holy Communion 19 March
11.30am Holy Communion
2
April 9.00am Holy Communion
14
April Good Friday 11.30am Litany
16 April Easter Day 11.30am
Holy Communion
Churchwardens: Mrs Heather Snook 474138 Mr
Anthony Denning 474294
ALL SAINTS'
CHURCH CLOSWORTH
26 March Mothering Sunday – 10.00am Family Service
followed by Buns and Coffee
14 April Good Friday –
9.00am Litany and Prayers, 10.00 Family Service
16 April Easter Day – 9.00am
Holy Communion, 10.00 am Family Service followed by an Easter Egg Hunt
EAST COKER
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
A warm welcome awaits you at the end of Burton Lane.
Services are as follows:
Sundays – The Lord's Supper 11.00am. Prayer and Bible Study 6.30pm.
Monthly Family Service on the 2nd Sunday at 11.00am when
The Lord's Supper takes place at 6.30pm instead of the Bible Study. Other events announced weekly.
Contact us on 422594 or 863735
Young People
EAST COKER
SCOUT GROUP
Newspaper Collections
The collection point is
opposite the School on the last Saturday of each month from 9.00am –
10.30am. If possible please flat-pack
your newspapers and tie into bundles. We
are now only able to collect newsprint, sorry, no magazines. Arrangements for Nash Lane and Helena Road
are co-ordinated separately by Ray Smith.
Scout Jumble Sales for 2006
Spring – Saturday 22
April; Autumn – Saturday 14 October.
Both to be held at East
Coker Hall from 2.00pm.
Remember we will collect. Contact Max Bugler 862186.
Thank you for
your continued support. Jackie Glover.
EAST COKER
PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
The Playgroup would like to
extend an enormous thank you to everyone who supported the playgroup’s Craft
Fair in November. The annual event raised
over £1000, which will be used to upgrade ICT equipment for the benefit of the
children.
Christmas is an especially
exciting time when you are little, and the children at our village playgroup
spent the last half term enjoying the run-up to Christmas. The children worked hard making surprises for
the family, making decorations, decorating the Christmas tree and playroom and
practicing a show, which they performed beautifully to their parents, family
and carers. Then, Ho, Ho, Ho, Santa made
a flying visit to the playgroup at the end of term party and spent time
chatting to the children.
East Coker Playgroup is
situated at the Pavilion, Long Furlong Lane, in an outstanding and safe
location, with parking on site. From the
Pavilion direct access to the playing fields allows the group every opportunity
to take the curriculum outside and enjoy physical and outdoor exploration.
The wealth of experience of
our fully qualified staff offers quality childcare and education through play,
exploring the wider environment and local community with project-based
activities. These include trips out and
visitors, such as the fire brigade, police, vet, doctor, nurses, dentist,
clergy, musicians and local artists.
Ofsted have consistently given the group excellent reports and commended
us for the interaction and encouragement between staff and children,
partnership with parents, teaching, management and the emphasis on fun.
Children can join us from
the age of 2½ and Nursery Education Grant funding is available from 3. We are open during term time every weekday
morning, some afternoons and offer optional lunch cover for children who bring
a packed lunch; we also offer sessions during some school holidays.
The group frequently holds
'hands-on' open sessions to explore Science, Technology, Language and Literacy,
Maths, ‘Messy’ Play, and Music through play-based activities. In 2006 events planned include an ICT Open
Day, a visiting Digital Artist and Special Days for dads and other male carers
to join in our activities.
For more information and to
secure a place on the waiting list for your child/children please contact Kay
Strode on 07798 812540 or after 6.00pm 862357.
Village News
EAST COKER
BRANCH WEA – Courses for adults
in Somerset.
A course of five meetings
begins on Tuesday 28 February at the East Coker Hall, 2.30pm – 4.00pm.
'CRACKING THE CODE OF TUDOR
& STUART PORTRAITS'
Tutor Janet Patterson
A look at how to use Tudor
and Stuart portraits as evidence of costume, status and lifestyle, identifying and
analysing the symbolism of the portraits and developing skills used to
investigate portraits of any period.
There will be a meeting at Montacute House on 11 April
Fee £23 – reduced with
proof of means tested benefit £5.
Financial support may be available for those on low household income.
If you require other kinds
of support to attend or participate in one of our classes, please get in touch
well in advance of the course start date.
For information or to
pre-enrol, please contact Sarah Smith 862466
THANK YOU
John and Eileen Horwood would like to thank friends,
neighbours, family and all who visited John's Exhibition on the weekend of
22/23 October 2005. Your support and
encouragement ensured the smooth running of the event and made it such a pleasurable
occasion.
The weekend proved to be an enormous success. Over 200 people viewed the exhibition and
£3500 was raised for charity. This is to
be divided between Prostate Research and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
A magnificent result and thank you all so much.
NOTES FROM
THE OBSERVATORY
New Year's Day 2006
The long warm Indian summer of 2005 lasted well into
November. Leaves stayed on the trees and
it seemed as if summer would never end. But,
abruptly, a change to very cold weather began on 12 November giving us a couple
of weeks of cold and frosty weather to start the winter. This unexpected cold was a big change from
the warm days of late October and early November when we had days as warm as
16ºC or the mid 60ºsF. Despite a milder
spell in early December the year ended in a cold snap with hard frosts. The coldest night of the year was on 28/29
December when the thermometer fell to minus 6.3ºC (20.7ºF). Some correspondents have reported even lower
figures. Next day a mild westerly wind
raised the temperature to 11.1ºC (52ºF).
Although there were several quite cold days in 2005
(minus 3.7ºC on 7 March; minus 4.8ºC on 21 November) and the lowest of the
year, minus 6.3ºC on 29 December, we had a very warm maximum of 27.1ºC (80.8ºF)
on 11 July 2005.
Rainfall for the year was 791.9mm (31.18in). A deep low of 961mb on 1 December gave the
year's heaviest rainfall in one day when 40.1mm (1.58 in) fell overnight. A week later, a high of 1043 mb covered the
village on 10 December. The driest
period in the past year was from 7 to 23 July when no rain fell. Frost occurred on 36 days and a sprinkling of
snow fell on three days. We were treated
to some spectacular dawns in early December when the village was suffused in a
glorious golden light at sunrise.
In early November a family of six blackbirds returned
to my garden, having deserted me in the late spring. A few days later several skeins of geese flew
rapidly to the south, honking loudly as they passed overhead. A visitor to my small garden pond in the
coldest weeks has been the Grey Wagtail, the largest of our three British
Wagtails, still with traces of summer yellow.
Although the year was a poor one for butterflies a brave Red Admiral
flew on 23 October. I received a report
of butterflies still flying near the coast in mid November. Warm and humid autumn days gave us an
excellent crop of fungi of many species on lawns and on rotting wood. Moles were active even in the coldest
weather.
We were fortunate in not having the heavy snow which
disrupted traffic in Devon and Cornwall at the end of November. Places a few miles to the west and north of
the village had several inches of snow at that time. Exmoor was covered. From a high vantage point on Exmoor I saw
many snow covered small fields showing dozens of animal tracks. As there was no sign of farm or domestic
animals I concluded that the tracks were from a very high population of foxes,
badgers and other wild animals. Some
fields looked as if a large cobweb of tracks had been laid down. All vanished in the thaw.
Venus has been a bright object low in the south west
after sunset, while Mars is still a prominent object in the southern sky. Both will move westwards, Venus appearing as
an early morning planet just before sunrise in April. Saturn will appear as a bright body in the
south-eastern sky in the coming month. A
friend drew my attention to a very large and beautiful halo around the almost
full moon on 13 December.
'If the moon rises haloed round,
Soon you'll
tread on deluged ground'
Francis Cloke 862496
ABBEYFIELD UK
Registered Charity No.200719
Where older people find Care in Housing
101 West Hendford Yeovil BA
20 1XN
Ideal for the older person not
wishing to live alone, but wanting to retain their
independence and enjoy the company
of others.
Most rooms ensuite. Very reasonable rates as we have charity
status.
No nursing care, but
Resident Manager on hand.
Telephone Mr. Joe Waite,
House Manager, 01935 475768
Visitors are always welcome
to come and look around.
EAST COKER
PARISH COUNCIL
The Parish Council is pleased
to confirm that, through the generosity of the Heneage family, it has been
given the opportunity to purchase The
Paddock in East Coker at a cost of £10,000.
The Parish Council will maintain this local landmark for the present
community and for future generations. A
covenant is in place to prevent any building on this land.
Dog
fouling of the pitches and area around the Pavilion has become a major
problem. With increased use of football
and cricket pitches, the health hazards of dogs cannot be over emphasised. Do you need
to use this area to walk your dog? Do
you always clean up after your dog
and use the dog litter bins? Please
think hard before allowing your dog onto the Pavilion area. We have keen football and cricket teams who
expect clean pitches for their matches.
Please respect their needs.
Sports pitches and their surrounds should not be dogs’ toilets.
Copies of the Parish Plan 2005 have been delivered to
every house in the Parish. The Parish
Council has discussed what action it is able to take in respect of issues
arising. Most of the action boxes in the
Plan are self explanatory.
School
Traffic: This is regularly considered at
Parish Council meetings, but even with police help, parent-parking for school
set-down/pick-up continues to be chaotic, twice a day. Parents are asked to consider other road
users’ needs and the safety of their children when parking near the
school. Please use the East Coker Hall
car park for safer collection.
Rights
of Ways: A grant for £350 has been received
from the Community Access Fund for South Somerset to reproduce an accurate
digital East Coker Parish Map with all Rights of Ways well marked. Copies will be delivered free to all houses
in the early spring. There will also be
two larger laminated maps at the Paddock and (probably) the East Coker
Hall. Leaflets will also be printed with
suggested scenic round-trip routes for locals and visitors to enjoy.
We are part of the Parish
Paths Stewardship Scheme which aims to continue the improvements of our public
rights of ways network. Our footpaths
are generally well maintained. There is
no barbed wire on designated routes, and electric fences whilst being used to
fence stock, should not restrict access.
Please contact any of the Parish Council if you have problems
negotiating paths. All should be clearly
signed - if there is no sign there is no right of way. Parklands in the village are private
farmland. Three footpaths are clearly
marked in Coker Court Parks and there are no designated footpaths in North
Coker Parks. Please stay on the correct
route and do not trespass on private land.
Dogs must be kept under control at all times, and please be aware of
farm stock in fields. Please consider
taking secateurs/shears with you to trim brambles or greenery, and so keep the
network in good order.
Speeding
Traffic: This is also a regular topic for
discussion at Council meetings, and with the County Council, to try to find a
solution to reduce speed. Both speeding
through the village and in Sandhurst Road are a problem and a Speedwatch
programme may be instigated to monitor vehicles. This will involve volunteers.
Neighbourhood
Watch: Most areas of the village have a
Neighbourhood Watch network that works efficiently when activated. If you are unsure who the contact in your
area is, please ask the Parish Clerk.
The Parish Council meets at
the Pavilion on the second Wednesday of each month at 7.00pm. Anyone is welcome to attend Parish Council
meetings and contribute during the ten minute “public open session” at the
beginning of each meeting for questions and comments from non-councillors. The Parish Council does not have all the
answers, nor the power to make everything happen, but it does act as a conduit
for local views and opinions, which is essential at district and county
level. The minutes of Parish Council
Meetings are posted on the Notice Board at the Bus Shelter. If you would like an e-mailed copy to be sent
to you please contact the Parish Clerk: Pauline Gubbins: 862062 or clerk@eastcokerpc1.wanadoo.co.uk
EAST COKER
& DISTRICT POPPY
APPEAL
Higher
& Higher!
Once again your generosity
has exceeded all bounds and given us a collection total of £5308.65. Many thanks to all who collected, including
new 'feet', and to all who gave so generously, including those who just 'threw
the pennies in the bag'. If anyone is
interested, I will need a collector for Sandhurst Road for 2006, please ring if
you can help.
Thanks once again. Sue Hounsell 01308 424702
POINTS FROM THE
PARISH PLAN
Mobile Library
According to findings in the Parish Plan, few people
currently use the mobile library when it visits East Coker. The following information is for those who wished
to have details of the service and its calling times.
There are six mobile libraries that cover rural parts
of the county. Ours is based at
Wincanton and provides a selection of books including large-print books and
books for children. These are exchanged
at regular intervals with those from other libraries. There are plans to introduce talking books
and videos. Access to the Internet is
also available on mobile libraries; their staff will provide help with this if
needed. Wheelchair access is available
on all six vehicles.
If you already have a Somerset library card, this
should be produced when borrowing from the library van, otherwise you will be
asked by the staff to complete a membership form for a library card and show
proof of your name and current address, such as a recent utility bill or
driving licence.
Up to 16 items may be borrowed at a time; they are
issued for six weeks and can be renewed by calling 01823 334344. If a book is not on the mobile library, a
request can be made for it. A fee is
charged for this service.
The mobile library visits East Coker every three
weeks, on a Thursday.
Dates for the first half of 2006 are:
26 January, 16 February, 9 March, 30 March, 20 April,
11 May, 1 June, 22 June, and 13 July.
Stopping places and times
Helyar Arms 1.25pm
– 1.40pm
North Coker Bus Shelter 1.45pm – 2.00pm
Meadow View 2.05pm
– 2.25pm
Maudsley Field 2.40pm
– 2.55pm
For further information about the service, contact
Libraries Direct on 0845 3459177
Help at Hand
Another point made by responders to the Parish Plan
questionnaire concerned the difficulty elderly people have in getting someone
to undertake small jobs around the house.
South Somerset District Council has someone who is available to fix
problems for the elderly and vulnerable that they would normally find hard to
tackle themselves, such as changing a fuse or hanging a curtain rail. A small charge is made for the work. If you are elderly or know someone who is
elderly on low income who would like to make use of this service, call 01935
462727 for more information.
The e-mail address in the
Parish Plan for items for the Newsletter is incorrect and should be L.Lindsay@eastcoker.com
Kathryn Sturtridge
A BELATED
GOODBYE! – from Keith & Marie Shephard & dogs
We left East Coker in
October 2005 and did not manage to say goodbye to all the people we had met
locally over the past three years.
Without exception we were
overwhelmed by the friendliness of the villagers and were soon made to feel
part of the community – mainly due to joining several activities and
clubs. It was with very mixed feelings
that we left the area, but we have settled well back home – we do, of course
have many happy memories of East Coker.
Best wishes to the friends
we left in Somerset – we will not forget you!
Keith & Marie, Rutland
FLAX IN
EAST COKER
For those of us who have
come to live in East Coker in recent years it is fascinating to learn more
about the history of the village. We all
soon hear about William Dampier and T.S. Eliot, but how many of us realise the
area was once an important contributor to the ship-building industry with its
sail cloth?
It was a revelation for me
to attend a day organised by the South Somerset Museum in Yeovil on 'Flax.&
Hemp and Rope & Sail', on 30 November.
Such was the response to the initial announcement that the event took
place in the Octagon Theatre dance studio instead of in the more limited space
of the Museum. The walls were lined with
maps, diagrams, drawings and photographs to illustrate the talks on various
related subjects.
The highlight for East
Coker was the talk by Robert Allwood on the 'Early Flax Industry in the
Landscape', with particular reference to this village. He gave as an example a pool in the stream between
North Coker and Pavyotts Mill, latterly used as a sheep dip, but once a leat
for the retting of flax.
Abigail Shepherd, who
produced the lovely Village Album, 'East Coker', with its reminiscences of life
in the recent past, was also there with her own display. She gave me a copy of her notes on the
sailcloth-makers of the village, which reveal how most of the inhabitants were
occupied with one or other aspect of the industry in the 18th and early 19th
centuries. When the fields were covered
with flax what a beautiful sight it must have been when the blue flowers were
in bloom!
As steam took the place of
sail the industry died out. Its last
remaining vestige disappeared when the Drakes' webbing factory closed in 1982
and the buildings demolished five years
later.
Anybody who would like to
pursue this topic further is recommended to get in touch with, South Somerset
Museum & Heritage Service, .Community Heritage Access Centre, 7 Artillery
Road, Lufton, Yeovil, BA22 8RP 01935
462855.
Website: www.southsomersetmuseums.org.uk
Sally Jackson
ROYAL MAIL
POST BOXES
The times of the last collections from post boxes
are:
Mon
– Fri Saturday Sunday
Helyar Arms 12 noon 9:45 am -
Higher Burton 12 noon 11:00 am -
Nash Barton 12 noon 11:00 am -
Post Office, Burton 5 00pm 11.15 am 9:45 am
Yeovil Road, Tellis Cross
12 noon 11:00 am -
Please check times for bank
holidays etc. as times may change.
NEXT ISSUE
The next issue of the
Newsletter will be in April 2006. Copy,
please, to Lesley Lindsay, Little Meadow, Coker Marsh, East Coker or e-mail
Lesley or to the East Coker Post Office & Stores by Friday 24 March 2006.