Medieval merriment at Chew Magna

Court jesters Photo by Peter Shaw

The 500th anniversary of the construction of The Old School Room, Chew Magna was celebrated in appropriate fashion recently when a medieval supper, organised jointly by the Old School Room and the Chew Magna Society committees, was held in the Upper Hall.

The guests, all appropriately attired and presided over by the King and Queen, enjoyed a hog roast banquet washed down with pitchers of ale and wine and served by attractive wenches. During the festivities the good burghers of Chew Magna decided that the King was unfit to reign and he was swiftly and painlessly deposed. Following a jousting competition a new King was enthroned. The 'court' was very well entertained throughout the evening by two jesters and two wandering musicians.

Children were not forgotten during this celebration as an exhibition and a party, with an entertainer, were held in the Lower Hall of the Old School Room and in the Millennium Hall in the afternoon.

Steph challenges the Cowboys

Mark Whitehouse and Steph Ashman

Stephanie Ashman from Chew Magna, and team mate Mark Whitehouse from Bristol are taking part in the Plymouth to Banjul Challenge leaving on 26 December. The challenge is the same one that Sean Heighton and Simon Vann Jones are taking part in (see front page of last month's Gazette) but Steph assures us that the rivalry remains friendly: "The challenge is not a race, and although there is some healthy competition between us we¹ve been careful not to let it get out of hand - we don¹t want the Desert Cowboys to be too disappointed when they lose!" Steph and Mark, or Team Pith-Heads as they are otherwise known, will be attempting to nurse their 1963 Series 2a Landrover some 4000 miles from Bristol, through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and Senegal to the Gambia with the aim of auctioning it off at the end to raise money for charity.

Steph says: "As well as raising money for charities in Senegal and The Gambia we have also chosen to support a UK charity, the RLNI, and are looking to raise funds with a sand driving event near Wadebridge in November." Mark found the 1963 Landrover on Ebay and decided to rescue it from a farmer's field where it had been rotting away for the last ten years. "Needless to say it required a lot of work, almost a complete rebuild, but is now pretty much ready to go. All being well it should have an MOT by the end of next week as well as a coat of multicoloured spots."

Steph applied for the overland challenge not long after returning from a similar expedition earlier this year, which involved travelling 9,000 miles across rural Russia, although this time around she has decided to add an extra element to the challenge. Inspired by the Sus Travel magazine and website that she recently set up with business partner Joe Hayhow,

Steph and Mark are hoping to green their Landrover by running it on some form of biofuel. Steph says: "We are currently looking at several ways to cut down our carbon emissions and would like to appeal to any Gazette readers who are able to help with advice and ideas."

Steph and Mark are also appealing to anyone who would like to make donations to their nominated charities and any businesses that might be willing to sponsor the team in exchange for a sticker on the car. Steph can be contacted via her website www.sustravel.co.uk, by email steph@sustravel.co.uk or on 07739 638249. You can also get a free download at that website of the first issue of bellomondo, the new sustainable travel magazine that she and Joe Hayhow have just published. Team Pith-Heads also have a website, www.pith-heads.co.uk, which is currently under construction.

Climate Change call backed by MPs

Local MPs who are backing calls for a climate change law to be introduced in the next session of Parliament have been applauded by Friends of the Earth.

The environmental organisation said it hoped other MPs in the region would follow their colleagues' lead. Thirty three MPs in the South West are pressing for a law amid growing concern about what climate change could mean for the region and the wider world. More than half of UK MPs from across the political spectrum support the introduction of a law which would commit the UK to making annual reductions in its carbon emissions, as called for by The Big Ask, Friends of the Earth's climate campaign.

The law would give government and business the confidence they need to invest in the solutions to climate change. It would ensure the UK plays its part in keeping temperatures from rising above danger levels and continues its world leading role on climate change by setting an example for the rest of the world to follow.

Signitories include Don Foster, (Liberal Democrat, Bath), Liam Fox, (Conservative, Woodspring), John Penrose (Conservative, Weston-Super-Mare) The EDM appears not to have been signed by David Heathcoat-Amory (Conservative, Wells), or Dan Norris (Labour, Wansdyke).

Mr Norris said: "As Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Hain I am unable to sign EDMs. Being a PPS means you are part of the 'Payrole Vote' and no longer a backbencher. Since EDMs reflect backbench opinion PPSs cannot sign."

Friends of the Earth South West's Campaign Coordinator, Mike Birkin said: "People realise the impact which climate change will have on their lives and the lives of their children and they are justifiably worried. But dangerous climate change can be avoided if the government acts decisively and acts now. We are asking all South West MPs to back The Big Ask, Friends of the Earth's campaign for a climate change law. A law would ensure the UK makes the cuts in emissions and would stimulate solutions to climate change which will benefit the region, its people and economy."

B&NES accused of waste
Bath and North East Somerset Council has been accused by one of its own councillors of "waste on a huge scale", in the run-up to B&NES's 'zero waste week' in October. Leader of the Labour Group Cllr Matt Davis (Labour, Timsbury) said: "The Council is constantly urging residents to reduce the amount of rubbish they discard and to conserve energy. Yet in the Guildhall, I have personally witnessed waste on a huge scale. Whilst paper, some cardboard and printer cartridges are recycled, it seems to me that pretty much everything else ends up in landfill. It is in the Guildhall that you will find the Council's policies on recycling being formulated. Meanwhile, in that same building I have seen water coolers with plastic throwaway cups, photocopiers with waste bins next to them, rather than paper recycling boxes, compostable materials (such as apple cores, banana skins and tea bags) discarded in waste bins, hot radiators heating empty rooms, and countless lights left burning in the building at 11 o'clock at night - long after everyone else has gone home".

"Bath and North East Somerset Council is supposed to act as a community leader. I am at a total loss to know how the Council can expect individual residents to reduce the amount they throw away when they are provided with such a poor example. It's about time this Council got its own house in order. I am fully behind the idea of zero waste week and intend to play my part in even further reducing the amount of waste I throw away. But I have no doubt that people will share my view that the Council should do its bit too."

The B&NES Executive Member for Sustainability and the Environment, Cllr Gerry Curran commented that he accepted that B&NES was not perfect, and that issues like lights being left on were organizational ones which still needed to be addressed. However, he said that the appointment of a Sustainability officer some months ago should result in across-the-board recommendations for energy saving which would be implemented in B&NES. He defended B&NES's record as one the of the best-performing local authorities in the field of recycling.

Sandford plan could bring 130 jobs
Sandford residents have been consulted about a possible multi-million pound redevelopment of the village's old railway station. In September, questionnaires were delivered to more than homes, and more than 200 people attended an exhibition held at the station site. After the Sandford Stone Company closed, the site was bought by the Bird Group of companies, which also hopes to redevelop the neighbouring parcel of land which was once a pig farm.

No planning application has been submitted yet, but architects RPS Urban Design in Bristol have produced a preliminary masterplan for the 12.2 acre site which proposes a mixed development of business, residential and community uses, which they say could create more than 130 jobs.

A meeting of the Winscombe and Sandford Parish Council's Planning Committee was held on September 11 following their attendance at a presentation on September 7 by the Bird Group regarding proposals for the site. Details were available to members of the public at the consultation event on September 8 to 10. The Committee Chairman subsequently contacted Lee Bowering, North Somerset Council case officer for the proposed development, who confirmed that meetings have taken place between NSC officers and the Bird Group.

Mr Bowering had advised that this is a 'brownfield' and the two fields classed as open countryside could not be incorporated into the brownfield site. The proposed redevelopment would involve constructing a mini-roundabout on the A368 at the entrance to the site. This would improve safety for vehicles entering and leaving, as well as general traffic-calming measures for the village.

Several small business units would be built along with a number of other work studios and offices with living accommodation above. Four listed buildings on the site dating from the late 1860s (the old station ticket office, the goods shed, station master's house and a two-storey, brick-built barn) would be retained as key focal points in the project, along with the historic Old Auster house fronting Station Road. The Bird Group has said it intends to submit an outline planning application to North Someset Council.

Mendip Ploughing match

The 137th Mendip Ploughing Match was staged at Stanton Wick Farm, Stanton Drew by kind permission of H Curtis & Sons.

This traditional country event saw all types of tractor, old, vintage and modern competing against each other with differing types and ages of plough. Horse drawn ploughs also compete. Robert Harding from Winford tried his hand at horse ploughing for the very first time.

The dry stone wallers get a chance to demonstrate how skilful it is to make a true Mendip dry stone wall. The hedge layers produce a sound stockproof hedge in differing styles. There are classes for fodder, mangolds, hay, straw, corn, silage as well as the largest sunflowers. Local competitors who were presented with trophies were Mike Taviner from West Harptree, with the Keevil Trophy. Sam Wedmore from Emborough was presented with the Lionel Clothier Challenge Cup for the champion stone waller. Society secretary, Jim King of Cooper & Tanner, Chew Magna said "There was a record entry of ploughmen". This was the 39th year that Jim has been secretary of the Ploughing Society.

Words and photo by Rosie Sage

RESULTS
Class 5 Reversible Ploughing 2nd Pete Harvey, Bishop Sutton 3rd Mark Crook, East Harptree Class 9 Massey Harris T20/Ferguson or Massey Ferguson 100 series tractor and Massey Harris Ferguson or Massey Ferguson Plough 1st M Taviner, West Harptree 3rd Stuart Tibbs, Paultlon Hedging Class 13 Champion Class 2nd Les Rogers, Bishop Sutton Class 14 For persons over 25 years of age who have not taken more than two first prizes in this class. 1st Colin Clutterbuck, Stanton Drew 3rd Tom Rogers, Bishop Sutton Stone Walling Class 16 Open 1st Sam Wedmore, Emborough 3rd Paul Trippick, Emborough Specimen Roots Class 18 Best 6 Mangolds or Fodder beet 1st Colin Young, Redhill Class 19 Best 6 Turnips 1st Tony Baker, Chew Magna Class 24 Best Sample of White Potatoes 1st Peter Sherborne, Chelwood 3rd Colin Young, Redhill Class 25 Best Sample of Coloured Potatoes 2nd Peter Sherborne, Chelwood 3rd Martin Weaver, Chew Magna Class 26 Best 6 Stalks of Maize 1st P J Mitchell, East Dundry 2nd I Lane & Sons, Norton Malreward Class 27 Best Ley 1st Brenda Wear, Butcombe 2nd W G Ogborne & Sons, Chew Stoke Class 28 Heaviest Pumpkin 1st Bill Selway, Ubley - 180lbs 2nd Clare Tibbs, Stanton Drew - 104lbs 3rd C Young, Redhill - 98lbs More results, see www.chewvalleygazette.co.uk Class 30 Largest Sunflower Head 1st Annie Sherborne, Chelwood - 19" =2nd Rachel Morgan, Compton Martin - 18" Grain Samples, Hay & Straw Bale Classes Class 31 Heaviest Six Cobs of Maize (without leaves) 1st J B Hudson, Stanton Drew 2nd I Lane & Sons, Norton Malreward 2nd P Sherborne, Chelwood Class 32 Best Sample (20lbs) Wheat 2nd P Sherborne, Chelwood 3rd L O Clothier & Sons, Chewton Mendip Class 33 Sample 20lbs Oats 1st L O Clothier & Sons, Chewton Mendip 2nd Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 34 Best sample 20lbs Barley 2nd Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 35 Bale of Meadow Hay 2nd W G Ogborne & Sons, Chew Stoke 3rd Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 36 Bale of Seed Hay 1st Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney 2nd C Young, Redhill 3rd P Morgan, Long Ashton Class 37 Big Bale Hay 1st P J Mitchell, East Dundry 2nd Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 38 Bale of Clean Barley Straw 2nd Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 39 Bale of Clean Oat Straw 1st Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney 2nd Brenda Wear, Butcombe Class 40 Sample of Big Bale Barley Straw 1st Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 41 Big Bale Bagged Silage 1st L O Clothier & Sons, Chewton Mendip 2nd P M & K Trippick, Emborough Class 42 Sample of 10lbs Big Bale Silage 2nd Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney 3rd Brenda Wear, Butcombe Class 43 Collection of 4 items of winter Fodder 1st Philip Carnell, Barrow Gurney Class 44 Sample of other combinable crop harvested 2006 1st P J Mitchel, East Dundry 3rd K J Osborne & Sons, Ston Easton