Cyclathon around the valley

CLifford Pearce went around the 25 mile course on the old butcher's bike!

Sunday July 10, the day of the Chew Valley Cyclathon organised by Chelwood Bridge Rotary Club, turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far - a wonderful opportunity to see the Valley looking at its best but perhaps not ideal for anyone facing cycling up Harptree Hill. However, Chew Valley cyclists are made of sterner stuff and a total of twenty-five riders left The Queen's Arms in Chew Magna on that Sunday morning to take part in the cyclathon to raise money for charity. Riders had the choice of either the 12 mile circuit around the lake or the 26 mile route which takes them up onto the Mendips before dropping down through Bishop Sutton and Stanton Drew back to Chew Magna where a welcome BBQ awaited them at the Queen's Arms.

Many thanks to to Jim Smith and his staff for their hospitality again this year. Thanks too to Steve and Gerald at RADCO Chew Magna for supplying free of charge all the liquid refreshments at the pit stops around the two routes and Gerald personally for providing the music from his mobile discotheque for those gathered in the garden at The Queen's. The Children's Hospice South West was the nominated charity this year and will benefit from a cheque in excess of £1,500 to be presented at one of Rotary's regular meetings later in the year when all the riders will have had the time to round up their sponsors.

Anne Collier

Pensford's new star room opened

Phyllis Gay cuts the ribbon

Pensford Primary School celebrated the opening of their new Star Room on July 8 following an eventful week. On Wednesday 6 July, the Year 6 children visited the Houses of Parliament as guests of Dan Norris MP and generously supported by donations from the Parish of Publow with Pensford and the School Association. This exciting tour was followed by a trip on the underground and a visit to the Natural History Museum as well as hearing the cheers that went up when news broke of the success of the Olympic bid. The Star Room is a newly refurbished area within the school which will be used for individual and small group work, music tuition and other activities such as Le Club Francais. There is also a modern kitchen area for the children to develop their cooking skills.

The room was named by Elizabeth, a Year 3 pupil, who presented Councillor Phyllis Gay, the Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council, with a basket of flowers when she officially opened it. Councillor Gay was joined by many friends and supporters of the project which was funded through Devolved Capital and SEED Challenge funding as well as substantial donations from the Medlock Charitable Trust and the School Association.

Carthy and Waterson for Old Down club
Friday August 12 is all set to be another memorable night at The Old Down Acoustic Club, The Old Down Inn, Emborough with the appearance of Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson.

Folk lovers will need no introduction to their music as they are two of the biggest and most enduring names in the folk world. Martin has been a great influence on the likes of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and won an MBE for his services to the folk industry. Norma Waterson is a talented, successful singer in her own right. Her eponymous solo effort only just failed to pip Pulp to last year's Mercury Music Prize. Tickets are £10.00 and, as the venue is small, should sell fast.

Go to www.cathyjudge.co.uk and click onto Cath's music link for more details.

Heathrow meets Cathay (review)
If you have ever wondered what the Bronte sisters would have thought of the new airport expansion plans, then you have to look no further than 'Withering Looks'; Blue Moon's latest theatre production in Chew Magna last month. In it the roles of Heathcliffe and Cathy are transformed into Heathrow and Cathay; a love-torn couple at odds about his plans to build a new airport across the moorlands that she loved so much as a child. After the success of Blue Moon's Titanic production of 'A Sinking Feeling' last year, the audience were wondering what to expect and from the opening scene onwards we knew we were in for something just as special. Pete Walford playing Heathrow and Ros Robinson playing Cathay were backed up by a spirited cast.

With appearances by The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Jane Air-Fare, Mr. and Mrs. Rochester, a weather girl and a troop of whirling Sisters of Mercy the audience was barely given time to mull the intrigue and scheming of the plot as they were bombarded with musical numbers, lavish sets and costumes, and hilarious puns. The controversial Chew Magna boundary stones put in an appearance and we were even treated to some fabulously edited archive film footage of outmoded forms of transport accompanying one of the many songs. We attended the second night and so missed the power cut on the opening night, but we did see the appearance of the big green frog giving birth to a dog in the raffle, and our notion that perhaps Blue Moon had peaked with their last piece was quickly put to rest as this latest offering shows that they are improving all the time in scope, skill and scale. 'Withering Looks' is being performed again in Chew Magna on December the 2nd and 3rd.

Lon Barfield

Blagdon belles on show

Some of the gowns that were on display
After months of planning and organising St Andrews Church of Blagdon opened their doors at the end of June to a steady stream of visitors for their Wedding Belles weekend. The gowns came in a variety of styles, each dress had its own history. Visitors on the day were also able to browse through a mixture of photographs that captured those special moments that provided memories of elegance, charm and romance from the bygone days, there was a sense of fashion from as early as 1880 to our present day.

Bouquets of the day were recreated by the Chew Valley Flower Decoration Society, which was complimented with flower arrangements from the St Andrew¹s flower arrangers. During this two-day event a number of visitors said that the whole exhibition was full of style, grace and charm. Some said it evoked thoughts of days gone by and enjoyed the nostalgia of sharing their own wedding day memories with family and friends. Also included was the traditional teas and homemade cakes served in the church along with arts and crafts in the school hall where you could purchase a range of paintings, pressed flowers, quilted goods, wooded crafts, jewellery and honey from the local beekeeper.

Additionally there were demonstrations of wool spinning and upholstery along with a special exhibition of vintage / classic cars & Motorcycles Jackie Drinkwater one of the main organisers said "The weekend was designed not only to share in the memories of each bride on their special day but as a historical and artistic presentation and importantly to raise funds for installation of toilets at the church. We are deeply grateful to the sponsors and all that have contributed to the Wedding Belles weekend by helping us raise an outstanding amount of £3050".

Words and photo by Christine Cross

New website about the river Chew


A great new website about the River Chew has just been posted by angler Jason Allen, who makes a living out of website design. Jason describes it as very much a project in progress, as he professes no particular expertise about the history or ecology of the river, but the website is already a useful and enjoyable resource with its growing range of excellent photographs and selected sources for further information. He says the site evolved from his interest in the Chew between Compton Dando and Keynsham, which he has fished for years.

When he realised the domain name riverchew.co.uk was available, he acquired it, as he already had lots of photographs of this part of the river, and was interested in the river-lore he had heard from older anglers. The site started as a single page, but then he realised he could hardly post a site about the River Chew without investigating the upper reaches and tributaries, so that's what he has done, accumulating a mass of information in a very short space of time - mostly between March and May 2005.

Like all the best local websites, this site is rooted in enthusiasm for a subject or a community, rather than any idea of making money. Jason has an impressive portfolio of websites designed for various clients. He is also a musician, who has made about 9 CDs since his first CD with Chances R, in 1993.

www.riverchew.co.uk