Welcome back, in what we hope will be a golden
autumn – a season that seems to start earlier and earlier.
One of the most pressing problems Bruton has is the
speed at which some drivers tear through the town as
though they were being pursued by malign forces. How
to slow them down is a constant worry. Flora Rawlingson
Plant tells us about an initiative to tackle this question
(page 17) – support from readers will be more than
welcome.



In this centenary year of the outbreak of World War
I, Andy Norman has been researching the names on our
War Memorial, and he introduces his findings on page 23.
We have sadly had to bid farewell to several wellknown
Brutonians over the summer – chief among them
the much-loved Brian Shingler (page 37); Sean Hogan,
well respected builder; Gareth Bullock, head of music at
Sexey’s and former organist at St Mary’s (page 43); and,
a different kind of loss, the popular and helpful Chris
and Sharon Daniels who have moved away (page 29). We
welcome the new owners of Church Bridge Stores, Julia
and Aidan McDonald.
The success of the Hauser & Wirth gallery at
Durslade Farm has already exceeded expectations, and
the general reaction is that it’s huge fun and rather
exhilarating – the food is great, too. Go, if you haven’t
yet done so, and see what you think.
More and more people want to advertise in The Dove,
which is gratifying, but difficult too, as we have a limited
capacity. I can only suggest that, if you want to take out
a new advert, you get in early before the deadline. For
reasons of cost and time availability we cannot enlarge
the magazine – 72 pages is about our maximum. This is
also why I beg our wonderful contributors to keep their
articles as short and crisp as possible! I have had to turn
people away occasionally and it pains me to do it.
Elisabeth Balfour