Memories of a day in 1928 came flooding back to 81 year-old Winford woman Eileen Cooke, when she presented a bouquet to The Princess Royal at Winford last week.
Happy
returns for Eileen and Princess
Memories of a day
in 1928 came flooding back to 81 year-old Winford woman Eileen Cooke, when she
presented a bouquet to The Princess Royal at Winford last week.
On that day in July 1928, Eileen, who has lived in Winford all her life, was present when The Duke and Duchess of York laid the foundation stone for what was to become Winford Orthopaedic Hospital. As a five year-old, Eileen presented the royal couple with a purse containing £6 12s 6d from the Felton Women's Institute. Eileen started work at the age of 17 in the sewing room and the hospital and trained as a nurse in 1944 in Bristol, returning to nurse at Winford.
Princess Anne enjoyed hearing Eileen's story before going on to formally unveil a memorial stone to the hospital, which closed in 1997 to make way for the new housing estate on the site. The stone incorporates the original foundation stone for the hospital, which was laid in 1928 by the Duke and Duchess of York.
It had been rescued from possible destruction by the initiative of Winford Parish Council. The Parish Council was also involved with the invitation to the Princess to visit to the area, to visit the site of the planned affordable housing for Winford, in Regil Lane. The Princess is President of the Rural Housing Trust, and after the visit to Winford, she delivered a speeech on the theme 'Parish Councils - the driving force' to an all day conference on rural housing at Felton Village Hall. For more information about the trust and its projects see www.ruralhousing.org.uk/
Willow
man (and hedgehog)
Blagdon School Class
3 has been looking at sculpture and how it can be used to improve the environment.
As part of their work, local sculptress Sophie Courtiour came into school to
show the children how to work with willow. She spent a very cold but sunny day
and a half in the school garden, where the children created two hedgehogs and
Stig of the Dump. The activity deepened the children's understanding of art,
as well as being great fun. Mrs Jackie Davies, the LSA in Class 3 commented,
"It's brilliant. I could work until ten o'clock at night doing this!"
Mystery
painting of Herriott's Mill
Harptree History Society have been studying life in the Chew Valley before and
during the building of the reservoir. Not only have they been studying the history
of the area and collecting old photographs but they have also been talking to
people who remember the valley as it was before the Lake. There are, however
so few illustrations of the many buildings which were demolished, that the Society
were delighted recently to receive a photograph taken of a painting of Herriot's
Mill.
The photograph is owned by Mr James Gay from Widcombe but he has no idea where the original painting now is or who painted it. So what do the Society know about Herriot's Mill? The mill stood for centuries close to the new bridge which now bears its name, at the south end of the reservoir. In 1816 Charles Gumm was in charge at Herriot's Mill and he was engaged in the production of paper. Like many similar family mills, the Gumm's were not able to compete with the newer mechanised concerns and so by 1830 had ceased papermaking and turned to flour milling. For the next 100 years or so two families occupied the mill. William Sweetland and his wife (later widow) Sarah ran the business until the 1860s after which John Baker, who for a time was landlord of the nearby Crown Inn, took over. The Bakers were at the Mill for at least the next 55 years. Herriot's was one of four mills operating in very close proximity on the Chew during the nineteenth century. Just a few hundred yards downstream was Stratford, and then came Moreton.
A further mill, used for grinding mustard, is thought to have stood close to where Woodford Lodge is today. The closure of Stratford and subsequent demolition of all the mills was no doubt hastened by the plans, made in the mid 1930s, for the River Chew to be dammed and the area flooded. Herriot's mill buildings disappeared in the early 1950s when the Bishop Sutton to West Harptree road was diverted to make way for the lake, and the now derelict Moreton and Woodford sites were eventually submerged under the very waters that had once helped the millstones to turn.
Do you know who painted this picture of Herriottıs Mill or where the painting is now? If you know anything about the painting or perhaps have photographs or memories of other buildings now below the Lake, please contact Lesley Ross 01761 221758.
J-Lo
tercentenary
The world-renowned
philosopher, John Locke, who grew up near Pensford, died 300 years ago in 1704.
He was born in Wrington on August 29 1632 in his maternal grandmother's cottage
near All Saints' church. He was baptised, in All Saints' Church, and they he
and his parents left after three days. Locke died in Cambridgeshire, on October
28, 1704, and is buried at All Saints', High Laver, Essex.
Wrington parish council has decided to mark this tercentenary with a series of events during the week in which the date falls - in 2004, a Thursday. Plans are being made by a small working-party, and it's hoped to involve as many village organisations and individuals as possible. Wrington parish councillor Richard Thorn, who also coordinates the village website, is organising planning for the events in October, and various other people are working on specific elements of the celebrations.
Tony Watts, a writer who also edits the Wrington Journal, is working on a drama, and Andrew Woodlfield, who teaches philosophy at Bristol University has researched local aspects of Locke's work. Chris Richards, of Weston Museum is also involved, and makes the point, that Locke was very much a Somerset man. Local historians of Somerset, and students of philosophy, or anyone else with an interest in Locke are welcome to get involved.
Anyone wanting
to contribute suggestions or willing to offer help, please e-mail
"The philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) was one of the few Somerset natives who achieved a truly international recognition for their life's work. Locke spent his childhood in Belluton, until going to school in London at the age of 14, but he retained links with Pensford and Publow via several properties he owned, and via communications with friends and relations in Pensford, and the area around. Arguably he owed everything he achieved later to these local links. Initially it was his father's work for Alexander Popham that led to Locke's acceptance at Westminster School and later Christ Church College, Oxford: necessary paths to acceptance among the nation's elite.
"After the death of Locke's father, his namesake John Locke (1606-1661), it was the rent from the land and cottages he then inherited that allowed him to pursue the studies of his choice, rather than take a living as a clergyman (as he had been considering in 1663). The estate was administered for him by his uncle Peter Locke, of Bishop Sutton (1607-1686). "Various sources reflect the lives of different members of the Locke family. John Locke's grandfather Nicholas Locke (1574-1648) was a clothier who moved from Dorset to Belluton some time before 1603, when the Pensford cloth industry was still profitable, and amassed the main part of the wealth which came down to his grandson. John Locke Senior (1606-1661) was a lawyer, who was also a clerk to the local Justices of the Peace, and one of his notebooks is at the British Museum."
Nempnett
hall restoration
Nempnett
Thrubwell is making good progress towards its target of £180,000 to restore
its village hall, despite what it sees as lack of interest and help from Bath
and North East Somerset Council.
Villagers have raised over £20,000 from events and donations in less than two years, but the only offer from B&NES has been with salaries once the project is running - and since the hall is planned to eventually be self-funding and run by volunteers, the B&NES offer has been described as "of no use to man or beast". Various funding applications are being submitted, including one for lottery funding.
Hugo King, Chairman of the Village Hall, said he was grateful for an offer from Nempnett Thrubwell Parish Council of £500 pa towards running costs. Despite the population of Nempnett parish only being about 200, 90 per cent of the villagers confirmed in writing that they would be willing to actively support the project to restore and run the hall, which had been disused for over 30 years. Future fundraising projects will provide another opportunity for intrepid visitors to explore the wilds of darkest Nempnett with a guide, when the annual Nempnett Walk will take place on Sunday April 25. There will also be a treasure hunt for children. Info from 01761 462673.
Plans
for Radfords site
Provisional
plans for developing the old Radfords site in Chew Stoke have been unveiled
by Westbury Homes. The house-building company has stressed that the exhibition
staged in Chew Stoke in February was very much a matter of consultation, and
that feedback from villagers and others could affect the plans that are finally
submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council.
The provisional plans for the 7.8 acre site show an overall division into four main areas: public open space/park by the River Chew (around 2.05 acres), housing (around 4 acres), workshops (around 0.6 acres), and a new doctors' surgery. Westbury describes the mix of housing as being around 25 per cent each of 5, 4, 3 and 2 bed-roomed housing.
None of this is yet designated as low-cost or social housing, but B&NES' policies on provision of social housing could mean a requirement for as much as 30 per cent of the housing falling within this category. It would probably be located in the housing area closest to the road. The general practice at Chew Magna, which hopes to relocate to the site, was represented by several of its doctors at the exhibition.
They stated that they have been working with local architect James Blair to design a modern surgery "to provide for the healthcare needs of the community into the 21st century." Provisions would include much better access and parking, and eight consulting rooms. Aspects of the plans were discussed at a public meeting called by Chew Stoke Parish Council on February 19.