Issue 30

This issue is a double one: the end of the old year and the beginning of the new inside one cover. Some of you will recognise that this means renewal of your subscription. If you are a subscriber and do not have a standing order, you will find a form accompanying this copy of The Dove. Please complete and return it, with your cheque or cash, to Mike Kelham or Flora Rawlingson Plant at the address shown on the form or to Church Office, Rectory Annexe, Plox, Bruton ba10 0ef, by 20 January. If you would like to become a new subscriber, do contact Flora (see back page). We hope you feel it’s worth taking out a subscription: comments about the magazine are generally extremely positive, and we try hard to produce a comprehensive overview of everything that goes on in the Benefice, with Diary information playing a vital part. It’s only as good as the information we receive, so please keep us posted. We welcome constructive criticism, so if there’s anything you think could be improved, please let us know. See the email address below, or the postal address given above.

Issue 29

As the year declines into autumn, there is an abundance of first-class produce everywhere. The apple and pear harvest has rarely been so prolific – it’s hard to know what to do with it all. One excellent suggestion is to juice the fruit, but you must drink the result pretty quickly or it will start to ferment. There are, of course, plenty of cider and perry makers around here! Lamyatt’s highly regarded Bullbeggar brew springs to mind.

Issue 28

October looks like being a lively month – there is plenty of good news about initiatives from the Council (see Justin Robinson’s report on page 23), and an exciting project concerned with Bruton’s history is going ahead thanks to the sterling efforts of Annette Pitman, former Chair of Bruton The Way Forward (see page 13).

Issue 27

A lot of community news this month – much seems to have happened over the summer. Exciting plans are put forward by the Museum for its Friends – see page 22 – and we have just heard that the Library looks as if it might be revived, though this depends on a Judicial Review starting on 27 September. Many volunteers and helpers are beavering away trying to make it work, and with a bit of luck it will be restored to Bruton, opening for longer hours than the recent one-day opening on Fridays.

Issue 26

The fête season is now in full swing, and there’s no shortage of delightful summer happenings all around the Benefice. Among the highlights, St Mary’s Bruton Church Fête is on 9 July. Batcombe is going for broke this year: Raise the Roof, on 23 July, is followed a week later by the village’s annual Horticultural Society Show, and then by the Batcombe Village Fête on August Bank Holiday Monday, 29th. Bruton Art Society has its annual show at Bruton School for Girls from 20 to 28 August. The Bruton & District Horticultural Society show is on 20 August, and on Saturday 27th comes the Shepton Montague Village Fête, in new surroundings at the Montague Inn. There’s lots more going on, too – full details of all events in the Diary.

Issue 25

The extraordinary run of dry weather in April came to a sudden end with downpours in early May. Let’s hope the sunshine will return for the summer – though we do need a lot more rain, and you could sense the earth opening up thirstily to embrace the life-giving torrents. The smell was wonderful.

Issue 24

As the spring turns to early summer, a very important date should be in everyone’s diary. Elections for the Town Council and the South Somerset District Council take place on 5 May, and, not only that, the referendum on whether the UK should adopt the Alternative Vote system. Votes are cast in the Community Hall, as usual, and everyone will have had the relevant literature to enable them to make up their minds. Do please use your democratic right to vote.