catch this - may 2015

May 2015

60p

Ascension Day is 14 May

2

WHO’S WHO IN THE BENEFICE

Rector The Revd. Tim Hawkings, The Rectory, Cheddar Road,

Axbridge 732261

Assistant Priest The Revd. John Angle, 14 Farthing Combe, Axbridge 733695 Readers

Pam Williams, 2 Beech Road, Shipham 843772 Sue Latimer, 9, Hippisley Drive, Axbridge 732583

Peter Rutter, 8 Beech Road, Shipham 843319

AXBRIDGE - THE CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

Churchwardens Peter Smith 734601 Judith Strange 733783 PCC Secretary Carole Carey 743883 PCC Treasurer Elwyn James 733185 Organist/Choir Martin Latham 733010 Mother’s Union & Sacristan Janet Angle 733695 Messy Church Peter Dixon 732890 Safeguarding Officer Margaret James 733185 Tower Captain Roy Shallish 732137 Mag. Distribution Lal Adamson 732221

SHIPHAM - THE CHURCH OF ST. LEONARD

Churchwardens Trish Ashmore 843388 Margaret Howell 842201 PCC Secretary Nigel Mallett 844997 PCC Treasurer Paul Ashmore 843388 Sacristan Trish Ashmore 843388 Lenny’s Coffee Shop Jill Lewis 782845 Organist David Williams 843772

Tower Correspondent Paul Ashmore 843388 Friday Lunches Jan Agate 842607 Kate Baldock 842882 Mag. Distribution Roger Hughes 843383

ROWBERROW - THE CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS

Churchwardens Sue Erasmus 843121 Adrian Adams 820058 PCC Secretary Jane Gunn 842561 PCC Treasurer Vernon Erasmus 843121 Tower Captain Adrian Adams 820058 Mag. Distribution Margaret Pritchard 852568

(Note: Unless otherwise stated the area code for all telephone numbers is 01934)

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Sandwiched in the

m i d d l e o f a n

important month, in

which we have both a General Election and

the 70th anniversary of

V E VE Day in 1945, we

celebrate Ascension Day. On the surface

it’s the most disturbing of all Christian

festivals, because it talks of departure, and

letting go of God’s presence. One of the bosses

in York Minster has the

disciples looking up at

the soles of Jesus’ feet,

which are disappearing

out of sight into heaven. As I write this,

news has broken of a

catastrophic disaster in

the Mediterranean Sea

with the capsizing of a

boat loaded with immigrants trying to get from

North Africa and searching for

a new life in Europe. Not

surprisingly many people will be thinking

that this feels like a world where God has

taken his leave.

At the Ascension the friends of Jesus had to face the fact that they were going to

have to get used to living in a world without

Jesus – or at least living in a world without

the Jesus they had come to know. After the

somewhat frightening and exhilarating

weeks of Easter, in which they had got used to meeting Jesus in unexpected places, in a

garden, in a locked room, in a journey on a

dusty road, and on a beach sharing an early

morning breakfast, he was now saying to

them, ‘It’s going to be different. Don’t

expect to see me in the old way.’ They must

have felt deeply confused, and not a little fearful.

According to John’s Gospel, Jesus had

been trying to prepare them for this

moment, and told them it would be better

for them if he went away. But they must

now have wondered how it could be better to live in a world where the tangible sign of

God seemed to have gone.

Most of us prefer to hang on to what is

familiar. It helps to make us feel safe. The

disciples were no different. But when we are

dealing with God, there is a danger that we try and domesticate Jesus, and miss the

great truth that he is, as one commentator

puts it, both ‘within and beyond all things,

mysteriously holding all things together’. As

Rowan Williams writes, ‘God is the depth of

energy out of which every single thing

comes. If we can’t instantly “see” God in the world, perhaps it is

because he is like the air

we breathe, so all-

pervasive that we can

never pin down his

presence as if it were an object.’

The other great promise

of Ascension and Jesus’

departure is that he will

fill his friends with his

Spirit. Jesus hasn’t just gone away. He has gone

deeper into the heart of

reality. He has become more

than a visible friend and companion on the

way. For the disciples he was now able to

be at the very core of their lives, giving

them power to become signs of God’s love in the world. Their new task was to bring the

face of Jesus to life in the faces of those they

met.

What happened then continues today!

Christian Aid Week is just one reminder that

there’s plenty for us to be involved with, which help us and others to see that God has

not taken his leave, but is at the very heart

of all we are and do.

Catch this — May 2015

On the spotOn the spot

Boss at York Minster depicting the

ascension of Christ

4

Blooming Grooming

Professional dog grooming

Clipping and styling

Hand stripping

Ears cleaned

Nails clipped

Kind and gentle handling; all breeds catered for

Phone: 01934 710720; Mobile: 07909 763052

10 King Alfred Mews, Wedmore

P&R DOMESTIC

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

We repair most makes of

Washing Machines, Dishwashers, Dryers, Vac-

uum Cleaners & Cookers.

(Small charge for estimates)

PD LOVERIDGE

Tel: Cheddar 742527 or 01278 789132

FAST RELIABLE SERVICE

LOW RATES

NO CALL OUT CHARGE

Domestic & Commercial High Pressure Jetting

Toilets, sinks & drains unblocked

Septic tank emptying

CCTV surveys

Drain tracing & replacing

Drain relining

Drain Excavation

Root cutting

Aquablast: Hill End Farm, Hill End, Locking, Weston super Mare

Freephone: 0800 0978255

Telephone: 01934 824355

5


MAYOR’S MESSAGE

Cllr Peter Yusen

writes: This month

will see a general

election and you may

agree that more than

enough has been said and written about that,

but there may also be

local town and parish

elections on the same day.

In Axbridge, it being such a small town –

about the size of some town wards – there are thirteen independent non-political

councillors. On the 7 May, there will be

insufficient nominations for a due democratic

election to occur in Axbridge and so it will be

necessary for councillor co-options at a later

date. I hope there may be some residents who will consider volunteering for that.

Then 18 May will see my time as Mayor

over and the appointment of the new Mayor.

I would like to thank the councillors and

residents who have given encouragement

and supported Deirdre and me over the past

year. It was a pleasure and privilege to have

served the Axbridge community.

We attended several memorable events

such as the Enthronement of the Bishop, the

1914+100 Commemoration, the visit of the French choir, Earth Hour and of course the

Civic Award Ceremony and our popular

Carnival. For a small town, Axbridge

community has such strength and its people

so many talents.

As so often happens, there were also

some disappointments during the year which troubled me somewhat, but my faith as a

Trinitarian was the support when necessary.

I receive the magazine ‘Resource’ (Renewal

for mission in the power of the Holy Spirit –

Martin Cavender, Director) and the March

issue featured articles on the Paraclete, that is the Holy Spirit as a Counsellor or Advisor

(John 14: 16,22). I came to realise that the

Holy Spirit could prompt my conscience and

cause me to reflect before overreacting. May

those gifts of our Lord support us all and give

us peace.

ARCHDEACON’S MESSAGE

Living together beyond polling day

Archdeacon Nicola

Sullivan writes: In

my early twenties my

Christian faith was

shaped by a holy, wise and kindly vicar

of my local church in

central London.

Week by week, I absorbed his engaging

sermons and inspiring bible studies and

looking back I’m so thankful for the seeds of

faith sown in that particular lively Anglican Church. But I remember being disappointed

when I asked him how a Christian should

engage with politics. His measured reply: ‘I

don’t bother much: General Elections only

vote one lot of sinners out and another lot of

sinners in!’ Whatever ‘lot of sinners’, local or national,

are in office come the 8 May, I believe we

have a duty and responsibility to support and

pray for them while using our hard won

democratic freedom to continue in dialogue

about the issues we care deeply about. From education and health to opportunities for the

young, the fragmentation of communities or

the protection of those most vulnerable, the

list goes on because we hold before us a

vison of nothing less than the Kingdom of

God. As someone has said simply, ‘Politics is

the art of living together. It’s a moral

enterprise’. So let’s join in enthusiastically

with this art of living together, making the

intercessory prayer from Common Worship heartfelt: ‘Bless and guide Elizabeth our

Queen; give wisdom to all in authority; and

direct this and every nation in the ways of

justice and peace; that we may honour one

another and seek the common good.’

We do so as we move through to

Ascension Day on 14 May. The strange, dramatic story of Jesus being taken into

heaven celebrates our crucified, risen and

ascended Lord. Far from detaching himself

from our flawed, sinful and suffering world,

he takes his humanity and our humanity into

the very heart of the divine life. As Rowan Williams has said: ‘… the humanity we all

know to be stained, wounded, imprisoned in

various ways; this humanity, both yours and

mine, is still capable of being embraced by

God, shot through with God’s glory, received

and welcomed in the burning heart of reality itself.’ Whatever challenges we face in our

communities and nation, our prayer, concern

and longing must be to help make God’s

world one where the true value, worth and

potential of every human being is welcomed,

embraced and held dear.

6

COMPTON

HOUSE

AXBRIDGE

A Grade 2

listed Georgian House with

fabulous views across the

Somerset Levels

Unique bedroom accommodation

Flexible meetings space

Private Dining Room for special

occasions

Receptions & Events for intimate

parties

o All types of TV aerials plus

Extra points

o Freesat, Sky and European/

Motorised dishes

o Discreet and careful

Installations

o FREE call out and quotations

o Quality installations for over

24 years

Please call DAVID FORD on:

TEL: 01934 742444

MOBILE: 07740 946385

AXBRIDGE PHARMACY

Your traditional-modern-independent Pharmacy

We serve…...We deliver

We can

ORDER YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS,

COLLECT THEM and

DELIVER THE MEDICINES TO YOUR

DOOR from these surgeries:

AXBRIDGE….

CHEDDAR….

WEDMORE….

WINSCOMBE….

CHURCHILL

& WRINGTON

Just phone 01934 733230 and ask

AXBRIDGE PHARMACY Open Mon to Fri 9am - 6pm

Closed Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays The Square, Axbridge, BS26 2AR Telephone/Fax: 01934 733230

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AXBRIDGE DISTRICT TREFOIL GUILD

In true Guiding style the

arrival of Spring and the better

weather leads members to

think in terms of outdoor

activities. Consequently the

next meeting on 12 May will be an outing to the North

Somerset Butterfly Farm at Congresbury

followed by afternoon tea at Heather's Coffee

Shop.

This outing is open to anyone who

would like to come along for a pleasant afternoon out. For further details of times

and costs contact either Eileen Petty, 01934

741255 or Margaret Harwood, 01934

732080. Watch out for other outdoor

activities, or visits, later in the year and join

in the fun.

SHIPHAM COMMUNITY CINEMA

Just one film this month, on Friday 8

May, but what a film: the uplifting comedy-

drama Pride (cert 15); we just had to show

this one. Directed by Matthew Warchus

(who, as a bit of extra information, is taking over from Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic), it is

the true story of “two worlds colliding and

then entwining”, is how he describes it. The

year is 1984, during the miners’ strike, and a

group of gay and lesbian activists based in

London, decide to raise money to support

the mining communities in South Wales. It’s an extraordinary tale of friendship and

solidarity told in a warm and witty style, with

a terrific musical score by Chris Nightingale.

All the critics seem to have paired up their

positive adjectives for this film –

“impassioned and lovable”, “fast and funny”, “terrifically warm and affecting” - just a few

examples. There’s a superb cast headed by

Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy, plus Paddy

Considine playing Dai Donovan, the inspiring

leader.

There’s more information on our website – http://cinema.shiphamhall.co.uk –

and on Facebook and Twitter.

Everybody is welcome, guests pay £4,

members and under-18s pay £2.

Refreshments available, including local beer

and ice cream. Doors open at 7.15pm and

the programme starts at 7.45pm. Do join us for an enjoyable evening on Friday 8 May.

WRINGTON VALE ROTARY CLUB

Following a very active period of fund

raising and community activities, the club is

now preparing for the May programme of

events.

Over the last month the Club has

hosted a Musical Evening which produced £2450 to the Rotary Heartworks Charity.

Rotarians also helped run a coffee morning

in Axbridge to support Polio Plus which

resulted in the charity receiving £480 and

also made donations of £600 each to the

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Freewheelers Blood Bikes and the

Heartworks Charity. Finally we held a very

successful junior Youth Speaks final for

primary schools in the area.

The Heartwork fund has now risen to

£50,000 which leaves a further £10,000 to

be found and then the machine can be purchased. Each of the charities mentioned

received £600 which happened to be the

proceeds from John Thatcher’s year as the

Club President.

Our forward events for May include a

visit to Dourdan in France where we meet with our French twinning club, David Wallis

speaking about Steepholm Island on 6 May,

taking about 20 Young Carers for a weekend

away from their homes on 15 May and Ian

Timberlake speaking about Wainwrights

Foundry on 20 May. We meet at the Burrington Inn every

Wednesday and any further can be obtained

on www.facebook.co.uk/WringtonValeRotary


Bob Pickering (left) and Ivor Metherall, Chairman of the

Wrington Vale Foundation Committee

8

CHEDDAR TYRE SUPPLIES Tyres & Batteries are our Business

Service is our Silent Salesman

1A Valley Line Industrial Estate

Station Road, Cheddar

Somerset BS27 3EE

Telephone : 01934 742390 Fax : 01934 743397

SPANISH CLASSES IN AXBRIDGE

Get together with friends, or on your own, to try a new language!

Pre-book 4 classes face-to-face; then claim an extra free lesson over Skype!

Tel: 01934 733878 or 07970 592421

Diney’s latest novel

The Throwaway Children is being published on 7th May…Election Day!

Available from Sainsbury’s, Waterstones and all good book shops.

Buy it from Amazon or download it onto your Kindle.

Paperback edition available in August.

9

LOOK SNAPPY!

The Friends of Axbridge Church are

desperate for really interesting photographs

of Axbridge that might become part of the

group’s 2016 calendar.

They should be in JPEG or other

suitable digital format; eye-catching; in landscape format and specifically of

Axbridge.

If you think you have such photographs

that you would be willing to see published

(and then sent world-wide, if past experience

is to be relied on), please send your offering with your name and a brief description of

what you are sending, to:

[email protected]

AXBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND

LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

The Society’s April meeting, held at

Cross Memorial Hall, was a “Living History”

presentation by John Smith. John has a long-

standing interest in the way in which the

Roman army functioned. He is one of a

group of archaeologists who have sought to recreate the equipment and practices of the

Roman army on the basis of archaeological

evidence from across Europe. John dressed

in the uniform of a Roman soldier and

explained how the design of the armour and

the equipment facilitated the troops’

efficiency. A large audience

found John’s

p r e s e n t a t i o n

enthralling and

stayed long

after the talk to inspect the

items closely

and to discuss

with John the

evidence on

w h i c h t h e

r e c r e a t e d designs were

based.

The talk was preceded by the Society’s

AGM, at which the following officers were

elected:

Chair: David Roberts

Secretary: Roger Maingot

Treasurer: Robin Goodfellow

AALHS Summer visits

The first of the Society’s summer visits

will be to Meare, to visit the Manor House, the Church and the Abbot’s fish house. This

visit is already fully booked.

On Saturday 6 June, Susan Shaw will

lead a walk to the sites of the mills in

Cheddar. Visitors are welcome to join

members of the Society, although a donation of £2 per head is requested. Meet in

Budgens car park at 2pm.

If you want to know more about the

AALHS, please contact Robin Goodfellow on

01934 732874.

A HUSTINGS

Paul Passey writes: I can remember

a time when the politicians standing as their

party’s candidate for election as Member of

Parliament could be clearly recognised one

from another by their stated political

philosophy – oh for the good old days! Now if I close my eyes and listen to the

voices on radio and TV I can’t tell a Tory

apart from a LibDem or a Labour politician.

Once there were no UKIPs to concern me

and Greens conjured up the bits on the side

of my plate to be tackled later.

However, if you meet our local candidates for the Wells constituency, face-

to-face, there are clear distinguishing

features; you can distinguish what they

believe should be at the heart of government

as we discovered at the hustings organised

in St. John’s Church on 13 April. They all “held their own” before an

audience of about 150 voters and youngsters

and after a three minute personal statement

questions, chosen at random, were put first

to both specific candidates and then opened

to the group of speakers as a whole: John

Cousins (Green), James Heappey (Conservative), Helen Hims (UKIP),

Christopher Inchley (Labour) and Tessa Munt

(LibDem). Questions were also taken from

the audience.

Whether or not the candidates swayed

voters is uncertain but that was not entirely the point of the hustings. However, I now

feel that we are able to put faces and

personalities to the names on the ballot

paper and are better able to judge who

would be an accessible and concerned local

Member of Parliament.


John makes a point about the design of

the sword and scabbard

10

Fairtrade Stall at the Axbridge

Farmer’s Market on the first Saturday of every month. Do come along and support. If you’d like to help man the stall please contact Kevin Walke on 01934 732256

AT THE MANOR HOUSE, ROWBERROW

In aid of ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CHURCH, ROWBERROW

GATES OPEN at 2.15p.m.

ADMISSION (TO INCLUDE LUCKY PROGRAMME) £1 (CHILDREN FREE)

ATTRACTIONS

CLASSIC CAR DISPLAY; GRAND DRAW (with wonderful prizes!); CHILDREN’S

SPORTS; MORRIS DANCERS; LIVE MUSIC; ART EXHIBITION; HISTORY OF

ROWBERROW EXHIBITION; FACE PAINTING; CREAM TEAS; ICE CREAM AND

SOFT DRINKS; FLORAL DISPLAY IN ROWBERROW CHURCH; BOOK STALL;

TOMBOLA; GAMES; WHITE ELEPHANT; CAKES, JAMS AND PRESERVES; TOYS

AND TOOLS; PLANTS AND MANY OTHER STALLS AND ATTRACTIONS.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE WITH THE

ORGANISATION OF THE FETE, ALL HELP WOULD BE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED!

PLEASE TELEPHONE DIANA CHEDGY ON 01934 852246.

Have a great day out at the Fête!

SAVE THE DATE

ROWBERROW FÊTE!

SATURDAY 20 JUNE 2015

11

£1,000 EARTH HOUR CONCERT

Kevin Walke writes: Alison and I

would like to thank everyone who

contributed to the amazing success of this

year’s Earth Hour Concert by Candlelight.

We have had some wonderful feedback from many people which will only encourage us for

next year!

Over 140 people came, more than ever

before, and were a wonderfully supportive

and receptive audience. Our target was to raise the £1,000 required for an upgrade of

the security doors on the south entrance and

we achieved an amazing £1,018.

Although planning and music arranging

for each Earth Hour concert starts in

October, the really hard work for the performers of rehearsing, learning music,

marketing and selling tickets starts in

January. Joining us this year we had Beth

Samways, Bob Foster, Helen Mann and Joan

Walke who all worked incredibly hard and

enabled us to include some close harmony a

Capella music, as well as music from Opera, Musicals, piano and clarinet solos and even

some music from the late C20th hit parade.

The evening could not have happened

without all the support from Andy (technical

and back stage), John and his Front of House

Team of Heather and Sue, Penny and her Wine Bar team of Janet and Martin and also

Martin and John for lighting around 300

candles. A huge debt of thanks goes to all

those, without whom the concert could not

take place.

Plans are already afoot for an earlier starting and extended concert next year

which, to avoid Easter, takes place on

Saturday 19 March; please do make a note

in your diary now—it would be lovely to see

you there.

BEATING THE BOUNDS

Mike Day writes: The ancient tradition

of ‘Beating the Bounds’ will take place in

Axbridge on Rogation Sunday 10 May at

2pm starting from Axbridge church steps.

The custom has taken place in a variety of forms in Britain for over 2000 years. Its

origins have roots in many different cultures

from across Europe and beyond and a

perambulation around the boundaries of

Axbridge is described in one sheet of the

Royal Charter of Elizabeth 1 of 1599 titled “The Abuttolls of the Burrowe and Liberties of

Axbridge”.

The first part of the walk is just over

three miles and heads south from Axbridge

around the levels. There is then the option

to return to the church rooms for tea and cakes.

For those wanting a longer walk, the full

circuit is six and a half miles and involves

walking along the Strawberry line to Shute

Shelve and then a steep climb up an ancient

Saxon drove onto the top of the Mendips

before descending back to Axbridge on the same route as the Good Friday cross walk.

The walk visits the four boundary

stones which were erected in 2008 thanks to

the efforts of the Town council and in

particular our very own Paul Passey. These

lie at the four corners of the parish marking the boundaries between Axbridge parish and

Cheddar, Compton Bishop, Winscombe and

Shipham parishes.

All are welcome to attend (including

dogs); please bring a small contribution to

the tea in the form of cake or biscuits.

For further information please contact Mike Day on 01934 732659 or email him at

[email protected].

AXBRIDGE SHOWCASE

Saturday 5 September: lots of new

features and attractions, as well as entertainment, food and drink, Farmers’

Market, and activities from Axbridge

organisations and societies.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Come work for the Lord. The work is

hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of

this world.


12

Axbridge Post

Office

Extensive range of quality greetings cards

Stationery and office supplies

Large selection of local pictures

Euros and U.S. dollars in stock

Agents for Johnsons the Dry Cleaners

Counselling Maire Campbell - Cert. CC & Dip. Pst (Relate)

Counselling for couples & individuals

Relationships - Sexual Issues Separation & Divorce - Parenting Difficulties

Personal issues

Confidentiality assured. Flexible appointment times.

All enquiries Tel: 01761 221448 / 0777 900 3168

HAMPDEN

OSTEOPATHIC

CLINIC

24a Woodborough Road, Winscombe North Somerset BS25 1AD

For appointments tel: 01934 843617

* OSTEOPATHY Janet White Danielle Crawshaw

* ACUPUNCTURE Dan Lloyd

* REFLEXOLOGY/THAI FOOT MASSAGE Polly Hall

* HOMEOPATHY Patricia Clark

* MASSAGE — HOT STONE/INDIAN Amy Chandler

HEAD & STRESS BUSTING

13

SHIPHAM ROWBERROW & STAR

HISTORY SOCIETY

Jill Smith writes: Those of us who

ventured to the George Thiery room for our

April meeting were entertained by Mel Smith

who gave a well documented and illustrated

story of restoration of a very little known item of Shipham Village History.

First and foremost Mel gave us the

dictionary definition: “Days before motor

hearses funerals were more localised and a

bier would probably be used to transport the

coffin from house to church and then church

to graveside.” Mel was introduced to Shipham’s Parish

Bier a couple of years ago, and, because of

his interest in funerals and various aspects

of that profession, he delved deeper, finding

a much neglected, cobwebbed festooned

and rusty bier mouldering in the Burial Ground Shed! Removing it from its resting

place was an interesting concept as, since

the Bier

had been

laid to

rest, the d o u b l e

doors of

the shed

had been

r e d u c e d

to a single

one, and thus was unable to accommodate the desired action. Bit by bit, with the help

of a tanker of WD40, Mel was able to

dismantle the Bier and transport it back to

an incredibly small garage for the task of

restoring it to its former glory. Which he

has achieved over a period of nine months – as for man hours in this labour of love, well

that’s hasn’t been calculated. Suffice it to

say, it looks absolutely beautiful, and will be

on display in St Leonard’s Church on

16th/17th May (see page 24) when the

Church and History Society join forces to hold an exhibition of Shipham History with

old photos, Tythe maps and assorted

memorabilia!

Mel has done an amazing amount of

research into Biers and has found them in

many parts of the world, quite a few in the

UK looking remarkably similar to Shipham’s. He showed us photos of several ranging

from a simple ladder type one housed in

Wick St Lawrence to one very ornate Korean

Bier which must have needed at least 12

bearers. The basic design is a cast iron/

metal chassis, some with steering gear,

most with a “ladder” type dismountable

frame with legs and fold up handles, that could be removed (complete with coffin) and

carried to the grave side.

Mel fielded questions during and after

the talk, one being “can it be used today?”–

to which Mel replied, one of our former

History Society members has already

booked it! Our next meeting is on Tuesday 12

May when Roy Fisher will be talking to us on

Bristol and the American Trade. I do hope

you will be able to come and enjoy the

evening with us. Refreshments are served

at the beginning of the meeting and visitors are always welcome.

SUCCESSFUL BIG BREAKFAST

David Williams writes: The annual

Men’s Big Breakfast was held as usual at

Barton Camp in March. The speaker this

year was Steve Loader, who has recently gone into full-time Christian ministry as a

docks visitor at Avonmouth and Portbury, to

provide Christian fellowship and support for

seamen, many of whom are away from

home for six months at a time. His talk

was both challenging and inspiring. The organisation and catering for the

breakfast

are by

members

of the

Benefice

churches a n d

f r i ends,

but this

event is

important for being ecumenical, attended by

men from a dozen or more churches and fellowships in the area.

It is also an opportunity to support the

Bristol Children’s Help Society, which allows

us to use the wonderful dining facilities at

Barton Camp, and this year we were able to

make a donation of £190 to its work. You can find out more about Barton Camp –

Somerset’s best kept secret – at

www.bartoncamp.co.uk.


14

Lenny’s Coffee

Shop The Square, Shipham

For Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea

Home made cakes Light lunches - toasties, jacket potatoes,

salads and home made soup

Opening Times Tuesday to Friday 11.00 am - 3.00pm

All welcome

C V Gower Funeral Directors

The Square, Winscombe, BS25 1BS

Tel.: 01934 842945

Independent Funeral Directors

24 hr service, every day of the year

Private Chapel of Rest

Traditional, green & non-religious

funerals arranged.

Pre-paid Funeral Plans

For free advice please phone

Lindsay Lawrence Dip.F.D.

or email: [email protected]

DISCLAIMER

The Benefice of Axbridge,

Shipham and Rowberrow does not

specifically approve or endorse any

product or service offered by

advertisers or contributors and will

not be held responsible for any

errors, omissions or loss resulting

from the use of material in this

magazine.

15

AXBRIDGE GUIDES

Bev Davies writes: Axbridge Guides

have had a busy couple of months. After

the February half-term the girls enjoyed a

number of activities including doing ‘recycled

fashion’, revisiting the Unit Guidelines, participating in cooking (and for some,

inclusion in a cookery competition) and also

swimming at Cheddar Woods. Our last

evening was at the Roxy Cinema.

Axbridge Guides were also invited to

participate in a residential event being held

at Somermead Lodge near Wedmore with Cheddar Guides and 17 of our girls

attended. The girls did so many activities:

they iced gingerbread men and marbled

eggs on Friday evening! On Saturday, they

made Easter cakes (thank you to Janet Fear

from Blackford for assisting) and this was following by a craft.

After lunch, we were able to get out on

the field and enjoy a wide game/Easter egg

challenge. They then enjoyed willow

weaving with Sophie Courtier with many of

the girls making wonderful creations. After a wonderful tea, the group enjoyed crafts

and free time in the evening.

On Sunday there was an energetic start

to the day when Jaz Skyrme came in and did

‘street dancing’ with the girls which was

followed by wrapping daffodils for Easter

gifts for which thanks to Lynne in Secret Garden (the new Axbridge florist) for

assisting with the flowers.

We had a great time with the girls - run

by the Cheddar Leader team - and we are

looking forward to doing more shared

activities in the summer term. Over the Easter break, I took three

Guides (Jess from Cheddar plus Robyn and

Gabi from Axbridge) down to Somermead to

assist with some conservation work. We

managed to clean and paint four toilet

blocks and a shower block so well done you guys; we worked hard that day!

The girls returned to Guides after the

Easter break on Thursday 16 April and we

have an energetic term ahead, hopefully

making the most of the lighter evenings and

good weather. We return to the girls doing

two weeks of their ‘Go For It Fitness’ badge, a Retro Night and then a walk up to

Winscombe Wood. Our Awards Evening will

be held on the last week of term, before the

May half term break, so we look forward to

seeing many parents and relatives there to

support the girls and recognise their

achievements.

JESUS – THE DIFFERENCE

Penny Rutter writes: “I have come that you might have life, life in all its

fullness.”

These words spoken by Jesus to the

crowds that followed him everywhere to see

and hear him, I find mind-blowing. It was

the reason he came, the reason he had to

die, and the purpose of his bodily resurrection, proving that there is life after

death for all who believe in him. But that is

not all, we can receive that life now! How?

All we need to do is to believe that Jesus

died for us personally, and receive him into

our hearts by faith. The following are some examples of

how Jesus can bring change into our lives.

Are we anxious?

Your heavenly Father already knows all

your needs…so don’t worry about tomorrow

Matthew’s gospel chapter 6 verses 31-34. Or fearful?

I am leaving you with a gift – peace of

mind and heart…so don’t be troubled or

afraid. Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 27.

If we are lonely:

Jesus is our constant companion and

said “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20.

In sickness or suffering, Jesus

comes alongside us whatever our

circumstances and still heals today. Have

you a heart broken by grief or emotional

pain? Tell Jesus and his love will bring healing.

In weariness Jesus calls us to receive

strength and rest from him. Matthew 11:28

-30.

Guilt:

Jesus bore all our sins and guilt on the Cross. If we are sincerely sorry for all that

we have done wrong (and thought!), God

totally forgives us through Jesus (Luke 5:20-

24) and we can receive that new life that he

freely offers us. “But to all who believed him

and accepted him, he gave the right to

become children of God.” John 1:12.

It is my prayer for you, dear reader,

that you know the reality of Jesus in your

life and how He can make all the difference.


16

Lavender & Co SINGLE ESTATE LAVENDER

AXBRIDGE GROWN

LAVENDER

COME AND SEE OUR GIFT AND

CRAFT SHOP IN THE TOWN SQUARE

George House, The Square, Axbridge

www.lavenderandco.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01934 733939 or 07818 665729

George House

A SPLENDID SELECTION OF

ANTIQUES, CURIOS &

COLLECTABLES at

GEORGE HOUSE

THE SQUARE, AXBRIDGE BS26 2AP &

MONTHLY GENERAL AUCTION

Antiques, collectables, curios and general

household items on the third Saturday of

every month starting at 11am.

At the LAVENDER FIELD,

Axbridge by-pass

Details: phone 07979 994126. Single items to

complete house clearances accepted.

Buyers’ & sellers’ premiums 12½% no VAT. www.georgehouse.weebly.com

Come and enjoy a good old fashioned country auction!

DIARY DATE!

The Axbridge Fête

takes place on

Saturday 27 June

This year’s theme is

Musical Theatre

If you would like to participate in any

way or help with cakes then please

contact either Heather Hawkings

(732261) or Alison Walke (723356)

17

SHIPHAM PLAYERS

Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th July are

dates to note in your diaries. On these two

nights, Shipham Players will be presenting

their very popular Murder Mystery Evenings.

A short play entitled Bringing Down The

House, ends with the discovery of a body. After a delicious two-course meal provided by

Sally Hansford and her team, guests will then

have a chance to question the survivors and

try to find out ‘who dunnit?’ and why, with

prizes awarded to the winning table. A

licensed bar and your company will ensure a hilarious and entertaining evening.

Each evening there will be four tables of

12 and eight tables of 10 available, so why

not make up a table and join in the fun?

There will be no advance booking preferences

and the first in the queue at Lenny’s cafe in Shipham on Saturday 6 June at 10am, when

bookings open, will get the choice of table

they want. Thereafter, tickets at £12 will be

on sale at Hansford’s stores, The Square,

Shipham. Payment by cash or cheque only

and we regret we are unable to accept

telephone bookings.

GIVING FOR LIFE RENEWAL 2015

Following several years of year-on-year

increases to our Parish Share of about £1,000 and successive annual deficits to Shipham

Church General Fund, in 2010 the PCC

instituted a plan to increase Planned Giving

to return church funds to an annual position

of surplus. Shipham PCC adopted a Diocese

Initiative called “Giving for Life” (GFL) and

launched a GFL Campaign at Harvest Festival in 2010 with the target of increasing Annual

Planned Giving by more than £3,000. By

December 2011 this target was reached.

Planned Giving exceeded the Shipham

Parish Share in 2011 & 2012 while the

Shipham General Fund had an annual surplus from 2011 to 2013. However, in 2014

Shipham Parish Share (£18,316) once again

exceeded Planned Giving by over £2,000 and

the Shipham General Fund slipped into

annual deficit. Experience has shown that if

we can increase planned giving by around £3,000 every four years then this, together

with our other sources of income, will achieve

a General Fund annual surplus for two to

three years and keep the Shipham General

Fund in a healthy state for the next four-year

cycle. Consequently, Shipham PCC will run a

Giving for Life Renewal (GFLR) Campaign this

year with the target of increasing our Annual

Planned Giving by at least £3,000. We will

launch the GFLR Campaign on Pentecost

Sunday 24 May with a “Bring & Share”

Lunch in Church after the Pentecost Service

and this will include some presentations and displays. Hopefully, the presence of the Holy

Spirit will inspire us to renew our financial

commitments to Shipham Church; GFLR

Response Forms will be given to each Church

Member.

Following the “Launch”, there will be a

“Response & Dedication Service” on Sunday 12 July when all Church Members will be

invited to return their “Giving for Life

Renewal” Response Forms in plain white

envelopes as part of their offertory on that

day. These envelopes will be opened and the

Responses totalled to calculate the promised increase in Planned Giving.

The Parish Share is our contribution to

the Diocese that funds the money to support

Tim as full time Rector in our Benefice

(Stipend + Housing + Pension + Admin

Support = £45,000 per year). The Annual Share per member in Shipham for 2015 is

£514.40 (£9.89 per week) which calculated

our Parish Share of £18,634 for 2015. For

reference purposes, the average personal

giving across the Diocese is now £10.70 per

week. Over the next few years, it is

anticipated that the Parish Share will increase by 3% to 4% year-on-year for a fixed size

church membership so our Parish Share per

member for 2016 is likely to be £535 (£10.29

per week).

There are 70 persons on the Shipham

Church Electoral Roll and so the target of £3,000 is not overly demanding as it works

out at around £7 per contributor per month

(£1.70 per week) with the possibility of

including some more members in the

scheme. The most efficient method to give

to Shipham Church is by a monthly Standing

Order which also shows that God is given a priority in your monthly budget.

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

Spring has arrived and on 14 May we

will be having a trip to Teignmouth and

maybe a stop at Trego Mills if there is time. The cost will be £14 for members and £16 for

non-members. The coach will leave Shipham

Square at 9am and Axbridge Square at

9.15am. For further information please call

Mrs Averil Long 01934 733053.


18

Susan O’Brien—your local Cambridge Weight Plan consultant

If you would like help with slimming, why not give me a call so I can help you man-

age YOUR weight.

Mobile, flexible appointments available

Tel: 07749 302652 Email: [email protected]

Axbridge Town Hall

Thinking about a fundraising event, gig or party? Axbridge Town Hall is a great venue for your event

Reasonable hire rates are available

For further information contact Sarah Emery on: 07748 561114

or email: [email protected]

Visit our Facebook page or see more details on www.hallshire.com

SHIPHAM COMMUNITY CAR SCHEME

For Shipham, Rowberrow & Star residents

Coordinator for 2015:

Sue Hucker on 844176

Cheddar Vale Nurseries

Telephone: 01934 733082

On the A38 at Weare, near Axbridge

Pick your own soft

fruit in season

19

CONCERTS IN MAY

Monday 4 May: LYRA, the highly

talented group of professional singers based

in St Petersburg, have visited Axbridge

before and were hugely popular with their

blend of Classical pieces, Russian Orthodox and traditional Folk songs.

They are returning once again and surely should not be missed:

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: Axbridge Church

Tickets priced at £6 are available from

Tim Hawkings (01934 732261).

Saturday 9 May: Somerset Singers

Spring Concert includes Faure (Requiem &

Cantique de Jean Racine) and Schubert

(Mass in G). Conductor Jonathan Vaughn with the Lochrian Ensemble (Leader

Catherine Black), Soloists Mary Walker

(Soprano) and Robert Clark (Bass Baritone)

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: St Cuthbert's Church Wells

Tickets £12 (in advance from Wells Tourist Information Office or 01934-

842353) and £14 (on the door). For further

information visit

www.somersetsingers.co.uk

Wednesday 13 May: Organ Concert

by Jonathan Vaughn in Support of St

Andrew’s Church Cheddar Fabric Fund and

Somerset Singers.

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: St Andrew's Church, Cheddar

Tickets are £8 from 01934 842353

(Somerset Singers) or 01934 742165 (St

Andrew's Churchwarden) and on the door.

SHIPHAM EASTER REFLECTIONS

Pam Williams

writes: In

previous years I

have written

about what a joy it has been to

enter Shipham

church on Easter

Sunday morning. Now, as then, throughout

Lent, there have been no flowers in church

as we remembered the temptations, the

suffering of Jesus over 40 days. As a hardy group of us left the church

in the rain for the Good Friday walk this

year, the church was bare, with no colour.

On the way over the hill to Axbridge, we

heard the story of that first Good Friday as

told in the Gospel of Matthew – how all seemed lost as Jesus was tried and

crucified. What a contrast on Easter Sunday

when we again celebrated the resurrection

with the same joy, reflected in the beautiful

white and yellow spring flowers that filled

the church: colours of hope, new life and resurrection.

The Easter message has plenty in it to

make us feel optimistic for the future, and it

always feels so much better to concentrate

on what is good and lovely in our world.

So thank you to Jill and her team of

ladies who decorated the church with such beautiful flowers, and to everyone who lifted

our spirits through ministry and music on

Easter Day, especially the children who

made a lovely colourful banner during the

service. And at the beginning of the

service, we were able to say, along with many millions of Christians throughout the

world, the phrase that has been proclaimed

since the early days of the church: “Christ is

risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah!”

VOICES OF AXBRIDGE

The Voices of Axbridge Group, which

records memories and thoughts of Axbridge

residents, will be holding its first AGM as an

independent group, having been supported

originally by the Archaeological and Local History Society. Anyone interested in our

work, wanting to help, support, or simply to

find out what we do is invited to come to

the Town Hall on Monday 11 May at

7.30pm. There is no obligation to join us!


20

PETER EVERETT

Registered Osteopath

PETER EVERETT

Registered Osteopath

Practice Premises

12 Woodborough Road

Winscombe

BS25 1AA

Churchill Surgery

‘Mendip Suite’

Pudding Pie Lane

Churchill

BS40 5EL

To make an appointment to be seen at

either address please call:

01934 844764

21

CHURCHILL SINGERS & IM TAKT

CHOIR CONCERT

Following a successful choir exchange

visit in 2012, there will be another exchange

visit this June and on Saturday 6 June at

7.30pm in St Leonard’s Church, Churchill

Singers will once again host a Joint Choral Concert with the “Im Takt” Choir.

The Choir exchange concept began in

2011 when Rachel Stainer (Churchill

Singers) and Ulla Mialkas (Im Takt Choir),

two foreign language teachers and friends,

who had been organising exchange visits

between Sidcot School and a grammar school in Cologne, Germany for more than

20 years, decided to implement an exchange

programme between their two choirs. This

resulted in the first visit to England.

The Churchill Singers, a chamber choir

that formed 25 years ago as a group of singers that wished to present concerts of

madrigals and other shorter pieces of music,

has grown to 18 members and developed its

musical ability under its current Musical

Director Michael Taylor and accompanist

Alison Blundell; they rehearse every Thursday evening in Shipham Church.

The “Im Takt” Choir, formed in 1999,

consists of about 40 members coming from

all walks of life under the direction of their

original Musical Director Gerd Jansen. Their

members enjoy the fun of singing gospel

songs, sacred music, swing and pop songs – German, English and International - mostly

from the second half of the C20th. They are

accompanied by Martina Motlik (flute), Klaus

Otten (guitar and bass) and Gerd Jansen

(keyboard and vocal).

This second joint concert in Shipham proves that their choir exchange is a

continuing success and St Leonard’s are

pleased to welcome both choirs back to

entertain us.

The Churchill Singers programme will

consist of Songs and Sonnets of Shakespeare by George Shearing and a

selection of English Madrigals and part songs

conducted by Michael Taylor and

accompanied by Alison Blundell. The Im

Takt Choir will perform a selection of

German traditional songs, Gospel songs in

English and swing and pop songs from across the world. They will be accompanied

by their three soloists and conducted by

Gerd Jansen from the keyboard.

There will be wine and soft drinks

available during the interval and tickets

priced £8 will be available on the door; for

further information please contact 01934

843388 or 01934 852005.

SHIPHAM VILLAGE HALL

Hello everyone! I hope many of you will

enjoy the May Fair on May Day when

hopefully the sun will shine, as it did last

year.

As always, you will receive a warm welcome at our drop-in centre that opens at

10.30am.

Enjoy a cup of Fairtrade tea/coffee (50p

and top-ups are free!) with biscuits.

The activity usually starts at 11am and

there is no charge. A freshly cooked lunch is served at noon

to those who have pre-booked. (Limited

numbers – book early!)

Programme for May 2015

FRIDAY – 8 May 2015

We are pleased to welcome Colin from

the Air Ambulance, to update us on the

valuable work they do in the South of England. Anita will also have various

products, to help with the much needed

fundraising, which enables the Air

Ambulance to continue and update their

equipment.

Lunch: Roast Chicken with seasonal

vegetables with Lemon Sponge for dessert

FRIDAY – 22 May 2015

‘Flexercise’ today, including ‘Boccia’, for those who wish to take part. We really

enjoyed Boccia with Steve, so we can

hopefully manage on our own with our own

set, which we have been able to afford

thanks to some extra funding from Cosyfeet.

Lunch: Lasagne with Salads and Italian

breads with Meringue nests and fresh fruit to

follow.

Contacts:

Gloria (lunch bookings) 842360

Ray 843562

Liz 843038


22

FORWARD EVENTS

4 May Shipham Go Kart Races & May Fayre

Glover’s Field and Village Green

4 May LYRA Concert, Axbridge Church,

7.30pm

9 May Somerset Singers Summer Concert: Faure Requiem, St Cuthbert's Church

13 May Jonathan Vaughn Organ Concert

Cheddar Church 7.30pm

14 May Ascension Day LMG Event Wedmore Church 6.30pm

16 May Axbridge Singers singing at

Woodspring Priory

16/17 May Shipham History & Memorabilia Exhibition (Shipham Church; in

conjunction with Shipham History

Society)

24 May Launch of Shipham Giving for Life

Renewal 6 Jun Churchill Singers & Im Takt Cologne

Choir Concert Shipham Church

20 Jun Rowberrow Church Fête

21 Jun Father's Day Event Kings of Wessex School 9.30am

27 Jun Axbridge Church Fête

9 Jul Organ Recital by Kevin Duggan in

Axbridge Church 5 Sep Axbridge Showcase

20 Sep Shipham Harvest Festival 4.00pm

and Supper 5.30pm in Village Hall

3 Oct Coffee morning—Axbridge Town Hall 3 Oct St Leonard's Quiz

Shipham Village Hall 7pm

1 Nov Shipham Patronal Festival, Super

K@CH & Gift Day

28 Nov Somerset Singers Autumn Concert: St Cuthbert's, Wells 7.30pm

5 Dec Longwell Green Orchestra

Christmas Concert Shipham Church

2016

6 Feb Axbridge Quiz 19 Mar Earth Hour Concert by Candlelight

9 Apr Axbridge Beetle Drive 6pm

7 May Axbridge Coffee Morning

If there are any future events that are

not listed above and you would like to see included please send them by email

to the Editor:

[email protected]

Further information is also available from:

www.stjohnthebaptistaxbridge.org.uk

www.shipham.org.uk

www.axbridge-tc.gov.uk

AFTER ‘CHANTEZ’

Stella Moore writes: Axbridge

Singers had a great time entertaining and

singing with Cantagarrigue in March. We

thoroughly enjoyed their stay and the

opportunities to sing together; both at the

Chapter House at Wells Cathedral (for an example of this you can lookup on YouTube

by searching for Axbridge Singers at Wells

Cathedral) and at our joint concert in St

John’s. It was a programme of great variety

and some surprises, the entrance of the

piper being a highlight of the evening. It was a great atmosphere and the large

audience showed their appreciation by

donating generously.

Thanks to all those who made the

occasion so enjoyable, including special

thanks to Tim for the use of the church and to FOAC for taking on the job of running the

bar that evening.

You may also be interested in an

unusual local event on 16 May when we

have been asked to sing as part of the

celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the

Landmark Trust at Woodspring Priory. This is an event which is being marked by a

Community choir singing simultaneously at

3pm at 25 different Landmark Trust venues,

all open for the occasion in different parts of

the country.

A special chorus has been written by Kerry Andrew (winner of two British

Composer Awards this year) and each choir

is developing a piece specific to their venue

for the occasion. Something different for us

and a very interesting place to visit.

AXBRIDGE ROXY CINEMA

Films in May at the Roxy:

Fri 1st: The Riot Club (15)

Fri 8th: Magic in the Moonlight (12A) Thu/Fri 14/15: Get on Up (12A)

Fri 22nd: Guardians of the

Galaxy (12A)

Fri 29th: Only Lovers Left Alive (15)

All the above films start at 8.30pm.

Saturday 2 May sees the third Roxy

Vintage Fair at St Andrews Church House,

Cheddar. Starting at 9.30am and

continuing through to 3pm, admission is just £1.

Contact Juliet Maclay on 07725 051523

for further information.

23

REBUILDING CHRISTCHURCH

Diney Costeloe writes: Last

November we were back visiting our family

in Christchurch. We haven’t been there for

eleven months and were keen to see how

Christchurch was getting on with rebuilding

after the 2011 earthquake. Last time we’d been there part of the Central Business

District, the red zone, was still closed off,

but now the whole city is open again.

Christchurch is now one huge

construction site. Most of the damaged

buildings have been cleared away, and the sky is dominated by the gigantic cranes

used in the clearing and rebuilding. In

many places the old stone facades of

buildings are held up with heavy scaffolding,

to maintain the look of the original building

while a new one is being constructed behind it.

One spring morning Peter and I walked

round the centre of Christchurch, exploring

the new face of the city. All round the town

there are plaster giraffes, decorated by

schools, businesses, associations and

societies. About eight feet high they are ‘standing tall for Christchurch’. Our

grandchildren

had a map

and eagerly

marked in

each giraffe as they saw

it. Later, as

w ith the

statues of

Gromit in

Bristol, they

will be sold off to raise more money for the city’s regeneration.

Our walk took us along the river Avon,

to Re-start, where the shops are still

operating out of huge metal containers, and

on into Cathedral Square. Poor Cathedral!

Its ruined remains are still standing, overlooking the square, its tower gone, its

roof propped up with a framework of iron

girders.

It hasn’t been decided what they are

going to do, yet; rebuild here, where the

ground is definitely unstable, but for which they’ve been offered some money or to

build somewhere else. I understand there is

great discussion and little progress.

In the meantime they have already built a new cathedral … of cardboard.

We walked on to see the Cardboard

Cathedral, as it is known. We’d seen it

during its construction last time we were

here, but now it is finished and in daily use

for church services.

It is beautiful; an A-frame building which from the outside looks like a huge

tent. The roof is made from huge rolls of

cardboard, like the inside of giant loo rolls.

Inside it is very simple, light and airy,

with modern chairs and minimal decoration,

but at the west end there is a lovely, geometric stained glass window. A place of

peace and contemplation.

I’m sure at some stage they will build a

new, stone cathedral, as a more lasting

place of worship, but meanwhile the

Cardboard Cathedral more than serves its

purpose, and, like the giraffes, it is a symbol

of the determination of the people of Christchurch to rebuild their city and their

lives.


24

CATCH THIS ONLINE

Don’t forget that if you would like to be

part of the pilot study group for testing the

online version of Catch this then please

contact me via email by 31 May using

[email protected]

SHIPHAM MAY FAIR 2015

1st Shipham Cubs, Scouts, Guides and

Brownies are organising the Shipham May

Fair, which will take place during the afternoon on Bank Holiday Monday 4 May.

Plus the annual Go-Cart competition will

take place in the morning, from 10am,

organised by Nick Hansford and Dave

Davenport.

There will be stalls, games,

refreshments and entertainment, plus the Crowning of the May Queen from 2pm on

the village green.

Please visit Hansford’s Village Store for

further information and an application form

for the go-karting. Any organisation wishing

to have a stall at the May Fair, please contact Sally Hansford on 07979 843 639.

Stalls will be £5. Hope to see you there!

OPEN CHURCH WEEKEND

St Leonard’s Church, Shipham and the

Shipham History Society are holding an

Open Church Weekend Exhibition of Shipham History and Memorabilia on

Saturday 16 May (10am - 6pm) and

Sunday 17 May (1pm - 6pm).

Displays & documents of history of the

village and church including photographs,

maps, icons and much more. Admission is free with an opportunity

to give a donation. Light refreshments are

available.

For information please contact 01934

843388 or 01934 842291.

SAVE THE CHILDREN LUNCHES

Kate Baldock writes: A brief

reminder that the Friday lunches

in aid of Save the Children will

be held on 1st, 15th and 29th

May, 12.30pm at Shipham

Village Hall. We hope to be joined on 15 May by one of our Save the Children

representatives, who will be bringing along a

small produce stall (all proceeds to Save the

Children). We look forward to seeing you!

AXBRIDGE MOTHERS' UNION

Unfortunately the speaker

booked for the April meeting

was unable to attend due to

family problems. However,

Janet and John Angle stepped

into the breach giving a most interesting and informative illustrated talk

on their latest visit to Gaza. The

photographs ranged from the heart rending

to the exuberance of youth and from despair

to hope. The work being done by the

various organisations there is amazing. Janet and John certainly had an exhausting

but rewarding time there.

The Lady Day service was a happy

event and well supported by most of the

Deanery. The MU wish to thank Reverend

Hawkings for taking the service. The next meeting will be on

Wednesday 13 May at 2.30pm in the

Church Rooms. The speaker, Jane Tibbs will

be talking about 'Children in the Anglican

Church'. If you have children, grandchildren

or are just interested do come along and

hear what plans are afoot. Advance warning to all Teddy bears:

don’t forget the Teddy Bears' Picnic on 10

June at noon in the Rectory Garden.

THE BENEFICE OFFICE

The Church Steps, The Square,

Axbridge BS26 2AP

Email: [email protected]

Rectory telephone: 01934 732261

The office, in the Church Rooms, is open on

Friday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm

CATCH THIS ORGANISATION

Deadline: 15th of each month

Copy to: [email protected]

Adverts to: Kevin Walke 01934 732256

[email protected]

Editor: Kevin Walke 01934 732256

[email protected]

Correspondents:

Shipham Julia Bradshaw 844954

Rowberrow Sue Gunn 842223

Axbridge Paul Passey 733373

25

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

From 10-16 May, churches

the length and breadth of

Britain and Ireland will come

together to pray, campaign

and raise money to improve

the lives of people all over the world. Every year, 100,000 volunteers

demonstrate God’s love for the poor by

taking part in house-to-house collections for

Christian Aid. This fantastic witness is a

chance to take the mission of the church

into your community. This year the campaign is focusing on

discrimination against women and you can

help to change the lives of women in this

Christian Aid Week by putting money in one

of the envelopes dropped through your door,

online at www.caweek.org, calling 08080 006 006, or texting ‘GIVE’ to 78866 to

donate £5.

For further information on Christian Aid

activity in our area please contact your local

coordinator:

Mike Day (Axbridge): 01934 732659

Te s s Me nhe nne t (Sh i pham, Rowberrow, Star and Winterhead): 07919

243540

They would both be happy to answer

any questions you might have on Christian

Aid week and would also welcome any offers

of volunteers for delivering Christian Aid envelopes.

COFFIN PATH MARCHES ON

The Coffin Lane Campaign Easter Walk

saw a committed group of people, including baby Sam, take the old coffin path from

Cross to Axbridge on Saturday 4 April.

Bearing placards and model coffins, they

walked to the Town Square where the award

-winning Farmers’ Market was being held,

and collected signatures for their petition. “We had a really good response”, said

coordinator Tess Gill. “We have gained over

100 new signatures in support of the

creation of a safe footpath and cycleway

between Cross and Axbridge including a

crossing refuge on the A38, and it is clear from the people who stopped to talk to us

that there is strong support in the local

community.”

The group organised a working party

on 16 April to take down the old fence at

Clement’s Corner at the A38 crossroads in

preparation for the laying of a level surface

on the new section of footpath there. Tess

Gill continued, “We have had a new fence

built and once the work is completed people

will be able to walk that section without

putting themselves in danger from traffic hurtling past.

There is now just one short section that

we need to sort out and then people can

walk and cycle in total safety.”

More information is available from Tess

Gill via email ([email protected]) or on

the website: www.coffinlane.com

AXBRIDGE ACTIVE LIVING

If you are over 50 and fancy meeting

up with friends, please come along for tea and cake in Axbridge Town Hall between

2pm and 4pm on alternate Wednesdays.

There is a small charge of £2.

PROGRAMME:

May 13 A Taste of Yoga with Jo

May 27 TBA

June 10 Lunch at the Crown –

(pre-booked with Vicky)

For more details contact Vicky Brice on

07884 264033.

AXBRIDGE FIRST SCHOOL

Hannah Coles writes: The children in

Pine and Willow Class, the reception year at

Axbridge Church of England First School

Academy, have been extremely busy

learning about this term’s topic ‘Night and Day’.

The children were extremely keen to

learn about nocturnal animals and were

fascinated when Beau the barn owl visited

our class. We have also welcomed visitors

into our classroom to learn about hedgehogs

and bats. We have created wonderful non-fiction books which are full of amazing facts

about a variety of nocturnal animals.

In Forest School the children have been

busy building hedgehogs homes, learning

about different habitats. Our clay nocturnal

animals now all have a cosy home made out of recycled materials and natural resources.

We have been exploring what causes

night and day and are looking forward to

exploring shadows and space after the half

term holiday. For further information on

any activity at the school please contact: 01934 732391.


26

SYNOD ELECTIONS 2015

What is the General

Synod and what does it

do?

The General Synod is

the national assembly

of the Church of England, commonly

referred to as the

Church's Parliament. It

considers and approves

legislation affecting the

whole of the Church of England, authorises new forms of worship, debates matters of

religious and public interest, and approves

the annual budget for the work of the

Church at national level.

Why stand?

Because your voice counts! Everyone has something to offer and the Synod can

learn from everyone. Don't let age put you

off - we need younger as well as older

members! If you are 18 or above, you are

eligible to stand. We particularly encourage

BAME and people with disabilities to stand as both groups a re cur rent ly

underrepresented amongst the membership

of the General Synod.

Who can stand?

Any serving clergy or retired clergy

with permission to officiate in a diocese and any communicant lay person who is on a

church electoral roll (or cathedral roll) and is

18 or above can stand. There is no need

for lay candidates to be on a PCC, deanery

synod or diocesan synod.

Time commitment and expectations?

Each year being on Synod involves a

commitment of up to around eight working

days and one weekend. If you are elected

this will be for a five year period from 2015-

2020, (but if you move from your diocese,

you normally have to leave the Synod, too). Many people take some annual holiday

to attend Synod. Some employers allow staff

additional time off to attend. Some

employers allow staff to take unpaid leave

(see also Do I get paid? below). If you are

employed, it's a good idea to check with

your employer what the position is.

The new General Synod will meet for

the first time from 23-25 November this

year and then meets each year for up to five

weekdays (usually less) in February in

London and over a long weekend in July at

the University of York. November meetings are only called if business requires it (up to

three weekdays in London).

Do I get paid?

No.

Like serving on a jury or as a school

governor, being a member of the General Synod is unpaid, but you can claim expenses

from your diocese.

Your travel costs to and from Synod

are normally met in full, but accommodation

and meal costs may only be met up to a

certain level. The expenses policies are set locally by your diocese, so it's always a good

idea to check what you can claim for before

you commit to spending any money.

Accommodation and meal costs when

the Synod meets at the University of York

are paid directly by your diocese, but you

will have to pay travel costs to and from York and London yourself as well as

accommodation and food costs in London

and then reclaim them from your diocese.

Next steps?

Get nominated!

Both clergy and laity need to find a proposer and seconder (clergy need to be

nominated by clergy electors in their diocese

and lay people need to be nominated by two

lay members of a deanery synod in their

diocese). Your diocesan office will also be

able to provide you with nomination papers if you are not yourself an elector.

The election period is between mid-

July and mid-October. Each diocese is

responsible for its own elections and there

is some flexibility on dates so do check with

your diocesan office or on your diocesan website for the exact timetable and for

specific advice about submitting nomination

forms and election addresses.

If you have any questions, would like

further information or just a general chat

about any of the above, please contact Tim

Hind on telephone 01749 870356 or email [email protected]


A man is talking to God.

"God, how long is a million years?"

God answers, "To me, it's about a

minute." "God, how much is a

million dollars?" "To me, it's a

penny." "God, may I have a penny?" "Wait a minute."

27

The Directory for Axbridge, Rowberrow and Shipham

Axb. ACTIVE LIVING Vicky Brice 07884264033 Axb. ARCHEOLOGY & LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Robin Goodfellow 732874

Axb. BELLRINGERS Roy Shallish 732137

Axb. BROWNIES Liz Foster 732935 Axb. CAVING GROUP Alan Gray 01761 52288

Axb. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Pat Filer 733078

Axb. COMMUNITY ALLOTMENT Dave Maclay 733221 Axb. COMMUNITY THEATRE (drama group) John Bailey 733547

Axb. CRICKET CLUB Phil Saunders 732354

Axb. CYCLING CLUB Jennifer Trotman 733306

Axb. FAMILY GROUP (young family support) Anne Beech 732109 Axb. FIRST SCHOOL ACADEMY (C. of E.) Secretary 732391

Axb. FRIENDS OF AXBRIDGE CHURCH Penny Cooke 733304

Axb. FRIENDS OF AXBRIDGE MUSEUM Kate Browne 733208 Axb. GUIDES Bev Davies 732168

Axb. INDEPENDENT WOMEN Patricia Clarke 733658

Axb. METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Carole Chaplin 852897 Axb. MUSEUM TRUST Kate Browne 733208

Axb. PAGEANT ASSOCIATION John Kendall 732103

Axb. ROXY CINEMA Juliet Maclay 733221 Axb. ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Brian Winder 01278 785696

Axb. SAXONS JUNIORS (football) Pete Thomson 733218

Axb. SAXONS VETERANS (football) Stuart Butlin 734626

Axb. SEA CADETS Baz Hamblin 733939 Axb. SINGERS (mixed choir) Stella Moore 732282

Axb. SPORTS AND SOCIAL (fundraising) Pauline Ham 732062

Axb. SURGERY Reception 732464 Axb. SUSTAINABLE AXBRIDGE NETWORK David Parkin 733762

Axb. TOWN COUNCIL Town Clerk 07884 264033

Axb. TOWN HALL (booking) Sarah Emery 07748 561114 Axb. VOICES PROJECT (recording oral history) Maggie Tur 732855

Axb. YOUNG ACT (junior drama group) Wendy Mace 734603

Benefice CHOIR Martin Latham 733010

Benefice MOTHERS’ UNION Janet Angle 733695

Rwb. BELLRINGERS Adrian Adams 820058 Rwb. FRIENDS OF ROWBERROW CHURCH Maggi Fiske 842321

Shp. ACTIVE LIVING Gloria Tyson 842360

Shp. AFC (football) Steve Dodd 843660

Shp. AFC VETERANS (football) Ian Shaw 842114 Shp. ART GROUP John Moorhouse 842272

Shp. BABY & TODDLERS Becca Wilson 853646

Shp. BADMINTON Ann Bracegirdle 843233

Shp. BELLRINGERS Lynne Binnie 744480 Shp. BROWNIES Sally Hansford 842879

Shp. CALLIGRAPHY Sue Waterhouse 01278 722793

Shp. COMMUNITY CAR SCHEME Don Hurrell 842717 Shp. COMMUNITY CINEMA Norma Scanlon 842845

Shp. CUBS Dave Peake (Akela) 844612

Shp. FIRST SCHOOL Secretary 843485 Shp. FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE Avril Long 733053

Shp. GARDENING CLUB Jenny Humberstone 843149

Shp. GUIDES Jenny Hill 742480 Shp. K@CH (church for children) Christine Prince 844909

Shp. KEEP FIT Lorraine Beer 842764

Shp. LENNY’S COFFEE SHOP Jill Lewis 782845

Shp. PARISH COUNCIL (clerk) Samantha Peake 844612 Shp. PLAYERS (drama group) Daniel Jeffery 744882

Shp. PRE-SCHOOL Administrator 844511

Shp. SAVE THE CHILDREN LUNCHES Jan Agate 842607 Shp. SCOUTS Paul Bradshaw 844954

Shp. Shipham, Rowberrow & Star History Society Jill Smith 842291

Shp. VILLAGE HALL (booking) Kate Meadows 01173 182357 Shp. WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Sandra Newton 843464

Shp. YOUTH CLUB Paula Barrow 843577

Local Food Bank (Cheddar Valley) Matt Dumelow 07992 309369

Local RNLI Ann Hart 852258

28

SERVICES IN MAY

Sunday 3 May: Fifth Sunday of Easter

8.00am SHIPHAM (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (K@CH)

6.30pm ROWBERROW (Evensong)

Sunday 10 May: Sixth Sunday of Easter

8.00am AXBRIDGE (Holy Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Parish Communion)

10.30am ROWBERROW (Matins)

6.30pm AXBRIDGE (Informal Christian Aid Communion)

Thursday 14 May: Ascension Day—local parishes celebrate

6.30pm Picnic } St Mary’s Church,

7.30pm Communion Service } Wedmore

Sunday 17 May: Seventh Sunday of Easter

8.00am ROWBERROW (Holy Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Together in Worship)


Sunday 24 May: Pentecost

10.00am SHIPHAM (Parish Communion,

followed by Bring & Share Lunch)



Sunday 31 May: Trinity Sunday

10.00am AXBRIDGE (United Benefice Communion)

Sunday 7 June: First Sunday after Trinity

8.00am SHIPHAM (Holy Communion)


10.00am SHIPHAM (K@CH)


Midweek Communions in May

10.30am 6 May Rowberrow

10.00am 13 May Shipham

10.00am 20 May Axbridge

11.00am 27 May Axbridge Court

Late Night Prayers of Compline

9.00pm 16 May Axbridge

catch this - may 2015

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