It’s good to be back after the summer – an unexpectedly sunny one, in July anyway.

The summer has, however, been marred by the controversy over the proposal to set up a ‘Solar Array’ of photo-voltaic panels at Sheephouse Farm, on the Brewham road. A great deal of anguish was caused, with the vast majority of local residents to whom we spoke being very much against the project. Their reasons were, to summarise: the despoliation of the beautiful Somerset countryside for no material local benefit, but to the detriment of local businesses that depend on attracting visitors; a large acreage (32 acres minimum, the size of the Bruton conservation area) would be covered, with the considerable rise of 44 metres from bottom to top of the sloping site impossible to hide from view.

This double issue is packed with a lot of fascinating information to carry you over the summer. Let’s hope the weather keeps its early June promise and gives us a proper summer for once. The Bruton Abbey project would welcome the continuation of dry conditions for its next dig (page 15).

A big change for the Diocese of Bath & Wells: the Bishop, the Rt Revd Peter Price, is retiring at the end of the month. Everyone in the Diocese is invited to the farewell service for him in Wells Cathedral on 22 June, followed by a picnic (see page 15). Do read his farewell message on page 3, too.
The summer programme of activities really gets going now, with a Community Lunch on 23 June (page 15), a wildlife hunt in Brewham churchyard (page 19), and a new children’s swimming club (page 21) as well as an adults’ golf society (page 17) being set up. The concert of Baroque music originally scheduled for 9 June is postponed to 7 July (page 25), and will be a delightful experience in Sexey’s Hospital’s 17th-century chapel.

Never in most memories has spring crept up with so unwilling a step, but now it seems a change is coming 
and the plants, birds, insects and animals will catch up. Even Charles Dowding has had a bit of a struggle – but he has useful tips for coping with the everlasting winter (page 53).
Change is very much in the air, and both John Bishton, writing about Bruton Trust, and Annette Pitman, on Bruton The Way Forward (pages 15 and 19), enlarge on what is planned. As John says, change is necessary: a balance has to be struck between what is worth preserving and what could be improved for all residents’ benefit. One much-needed change: at long last the Hewden site car park near the church has become operative. See Mayor Alex Rubbo’s Town Council news (page 49).

History seems to be to the fore this month. Roger Gallannaugh gives us a succinct overview of what happened to the Abbey during the Reformation (page 23), while Will Vaughan’s talk on the history of Castle Cary from the Middle Ages drew a large audience to the Caryford Hall (see page 32).
The late Lord Rees-Mogg was, if not actually from the Benefice, a fairly local figure, and his daughter Emma is a tireless and very effective contributor to local life. Roger Ketley has discovered some fascinating memorial tablets to the family in the church of St Peter in Shepton Montague (page 45). I hope readers take the time to enjoy the Parish News articles, which are so often full of wonderfully interesting facts.

As we leave winter behind (not too much of a pious hope, surely), wildlife tends to come into greater focus.  The Wild Plant Charity is aiming to call attention to local plants and to stimulate interest among school pupils and adults alike. Read about it on page 27. And there is a treat for bird-lovers: if you are lucky you may spot the hawfinches which have taken up temporary residence in St Mary’s churchyard (also on page 27). At least seven have now been counted!

In this New Year, which we must hope will be a lot less wet than the old one, we are still trying to get used to the loss of Batcombe, Lamyatt and Upton Noble from the Benefice. As I’ve said before, we welcome news of special events and are very happy to include Diary items from those parishes – after all, nobody has picked them up bodily and moved them to another part of Somerset, even if the rains and rivers have had a good try, to judge by the mud and the lakes blocking local roads. But the little article from Upton Noble Primary School (page 57) will probably have to be the last item of ‘regular’ news of the school. We have, however, persuaded Rev. Rosey Lunn, the priest in charge of the newly enlarged Evercreech Benefice, to give us her thoughts in the Rectory Ruminations column.