Lampaprilmay2015webcopy

LAMP Magazine
April - May 2015 Free
Shining a light on literature, art, music and performance in Taunton Deane,
West and South Somerset, Bridgwater and the Quantocks

4
Taunton Racecourse:
28th & 29th March 2015
10.00 am to 5.00pm Saturday
10.00am to 4.00pm Sunday
Now an established event on the spring calendar, The Rural Living
Spring Show returns to Taunton Racecourse this March. Run by the
people who have brought you the much-loved Rural Living Show
at King’s Hall each autumn, the Show is full of exciting ideas to
buy which will transform your home and garden. The Rural Living
Spring Show will showcase some of the finest produce and crafts to
be found in the West Country and Taunton Racecourse, with its am-
ple parking and plenty of space for both indoor and outside stands,
is the ideal venue for this exciting event. Get your Easter gifts here!
Among the features of The Rural Living Spring Show are:
• Over 100 stands
• Craft demonstrators
• Plant and Garden marquee
• Eco-friendly and Sustainability stands
• Ideas for home and garden
• Food Hall, with café and tasting area for local produce
• Vintage market
• Local nursery stands
• Garden Design
• Ample parking
• Children’s Entertainment
• Classic Vehicle Day on Sunday
• Raising money for St Margaret’s Hospice
Further info: call 01823 323363 email:info@rurallivingshow.co.uk or visit www.rurallivingspringshow.co.uk
Raising money for:
Free tickets for LAMP readers. Cut round edge of ticket below and take to show.
Some of the products featured at the show: Top left, Mixed
fruit tart from Ornella Bianca. Top right, Chocolate from
Nutcombe Chocolate. Above left, Blueberry Glass. Above
right, Seagull dish.
Ornella Bianca with their stunning cakes at last year’s
spring show
NSPCC Chicken & Egg Fun Run
11.00am Sunday
Contact 01823 412405
for further details

5
Contents
4 The Rural Living Show
6 Spring at the Brewhouse
7 Who would be a young singer?
8 Hothouse Festival at Halsway Manor
11 Understanding the Flowering plants with Anne Bebbington
12 Pete Long Interview
15 Taunton Sinfonietta: Two spring concerts
16 Jack Fieldhouse: Bridgwater countryman
19 The West Somerset Singers: Seven decades of choral music
19 Concerts in the West: Rupert Charlesworth
20 Wessex greets Norway in song
23 Catherine Chanter: The Well
25-29 Calendar of Events
29 Taunton Film Society discussion: love, loss and obsession
31 Workshops, Courses and Classes
32 Vienna Festival Ballet: 35th Anniversary Gala
34 A Personal Passion: The ingram Collection at Hestercombe
35 From Adlestrop to Arras: new biography of Edward Thomas
36 The Old Brick Workshop: a new creative space in Wellington
37 King John: Treachery, tyranny and the road to Magna Carta
38 60 years of Evensong with In Ecclesia
39 Obituary: Hugh Prudden
40 Creative Writing Festival with Tacchi-Morris
43-44 Short story by L. M. Westwood
44 The Book Club: A new play
45 Poetry Corner: Hugh Loxdale
46 My Favourite with Martin Dormer
47 Summer Creative Writing Classes at Queen’s College
47 Children’s book event with Julia Copus
47 Norton the Dragon Comic Strip
Editor: Lionel Ward
Copy Editor: Jo Ward
All enquiries:
lampmagazine1@gmail.com
01823 337742
www.lampmagazine.co.uk
c/o Brendon Books,
Bath Place, Taunton
TA1 4ER
The views expressed in Lamp are
not necessarily those of the editorial
team. Copyright, unless otherwise
stated, is that of the magazine or the
individual authors. We do not accept
liability for the content or accuracy
of the magazine including that of the
advertisers.
Spring has
sprung and
we return to
our 2 month-
ly issues

7
How can one put a value on creativity?
Potentially it’s quite easy. As noted in the
2015 report by the Warwick Commis-
sion on future of cultural value, Gross
Value Added of the cultural and creative
industries sector was estimated at a global
£76.9bn in 2013, representing 5.0% of the
UK economy.
How can one foster creativity? Well,
perhaps that’s a harder one to answer.
Creativity has been acknowledged by
many of the business leaders of the world
as a key asset. According to a study pub-
lished by IBM entitled Leading Through
Connections – Insights from the Global
Chief Executive Officer Study stated
that “Across industries and geographies,
CEOs consistently highlight four personal
characteristics most critical for employ-
ees’ future success: being collaborative,
communicative, creative and flexible”.
But whilst business leaders appreciate
creative employees, in times of austerity
it is hard for some not to see the creative
industries as easy targets for cuts and
fail to recognise the hidden gems in our
midst – arts programmes that comple-
ment science, engineering and maths.
The key message from the Warwick
Commission report is the importance
of equal access for everyone to a rich
cultural education and the opportunity to
live a creative life. “There are barriers and
inequalities in Britain today that pre-
vent this from being a universal human
right. This is bad for business and bad for
society.”
Somerset is fortunate to have a vibrant,
grass roots arts sector. The Taunton Festi-
val of the Arts is due to have an extraordi-
nary year, topped by a vibrant week-long
Taunton Live 2015 Festival (supported by
GoCreate) in July – and that follows the
Festival’s Centenary celebrations last year!
Somerset Opera is also working hard
to provide a breadth of opportunities for
young performers. On 9 May, it is arrang-
ing a Young Performers’ Gala in Temple
Methodist Church.
Later the same month comes the Som-
erset Song Prize (SSP), also part of the
Taunton Festival. This competition has
grown since its augural year in 2013 and
now includes regional rounds in Taunton,
Who would be a young singer?
Guy Robinson, secretary of Somerset Opera, reflects on how we value creativity and looks for-
ward to a summer of in Taunton and Wellington and asks Robert Dean, Professor of the The
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, conductor and one of the adjudicators for the Somerset
Song Prize, his views on nurturing creativity.
Birmingham and London, before
semi-final and grand final in Taunton.
Applications are expected from across the
country, with prize money totalling more
than £2000.
Then only a few weeks later, Donald
Maxwell, patron of Somerset Opera will
deliver another tour de force in the Max-
well Masterclass on 13 June in Wellington
School. And that’s not mentioning the
youngsters involved in the company’s
current touring G&S show (Patience),
its main opera production of the Magic
Flute in July or a production (also in July)
of Acis & Galatea that involves young
soloists, chorus, conductor and director
at Hestercombe House.
Rarely has there been a more exciting
time to be active in the local arts. Never
has it been more important.
To learn more about Taunton Festival visit
http://www.tauntonfestival.org.uk or for the
Somerset Opera Young Singers Programme,
visit www.somersetopera.org.uk
GR What importance do you place on creativity?
RD A would be musician often responds to a need to fulfil an inner creative urge, sometimes
not even recognising this to be the case. For example, the best singers I work with combine a
creative approach to singing technique and interpretation to unify the message they are com-
municating in song. Without creativity there is no artist.
GR How can we safeguard creative studies?
RD Our job as creative artists is to make people aware of what we do at every opportunity.
Thank goodness Sir Simon Rattle is coming back to London because at the moment we need an
ambassador of the highest calibre to make the point that the creative arts are something this
country can be inordinately proud of. In addition, there are health benefits too – for example,
more studies are focussing on the benefits of singing, it is actually good for you to be creative!
GR Do you see a change in the number or type of students entering GSMD?
RD Every year is different. There was a high number of applicants this year but the quality was variable. Some years, we
are spoiled for choice; there are no ways of predicting how any year will turn out. However, music seems to be as important
a part of some young people’s lives as it ever was and it is a heart warming fact, that despite the considerable costs incurred
these days of studying music, there are plenty of young people who feel sufficiently “called” to try and realise the potential
they feel within themselves.
Robert Dean

8
2015 sees the fourth year of
Halsway Manor Hothouse
Festival – a one-day, one-
night folk arts festival for,
and by, young people.
Folk music has seen a huge resurgence
in popularity in recent times. This truly
accessible and inclusive community art
form has been taken out of the back
rooms of pubs and into the wider world,
engaging and inspiring a new wave of
young performers.
As well as its regular program of res-
idential courses, Halsway Manor has
built a reputation for delivering a vibrant
programme of youth music, dance and
arts events; connecting young people
from the region, nationally and inter-
nationally. Hothouse Festival’s aim is to
provide a platform for some of the UK’s
best up-and-coming young performers.
From strongly traditional approaches to
more modern roots-based music, Hot-
house Festival’s artists have one thing in
common - they make music for everyone
to enjoy and get involved in!
This year’s Hothouse artists are already
hugely successful on the national scene -
Sam Kelly first found himself in the pub-
lic eye when he reached the grand final
of Britain’s Got Talent. Now nominated
as Best Singer in the Spiral Earth Awards
2015 he brings his high-energy roots trio,
who draw on the traditions of England
and the best in contemporary acoustic
music. The Elephant Sessions (Up and
Coming Artist of the Year - MG Alba
Scots Trad Awards) have built a blistering
reputation in the Scottish trad world with
an inimitable blend of folk tunes support-
ed by edgy drums and bass. Through its
SAM KELLY TRIO, THE ELEPHANT SESSIONS, TOM KITCH-
ING’S INTERLOPER, MAGIC LANTERN, JESS MCALLISTER,
NATALIE HOLMES, SAM AND DYLAN, DANCE WORKSHOPS,
SILENT DISCO AND MORE....
work with BBC Introducing in the West
Halsway discovered Keynsham based
Singer-Songwriter Natalie Holmes and
are very pleased to welcome her to Hot-
house. Former young folk award finalist
and Spiral Earth Award nominated
Tom Kitching’s Interloper pulls together
some of the hottest tickets in traditional
music bringing “an almost indie rock
sensibility” (The Daily Express) to folk
music. They’re joined by many more
superb national and local acts.
The Open Mic Competition will be
compered by BBC Young Folk Award
Finalist Kitty McFarlane and will be
bigger than ever with an exciting new
collaboration. Hothouse Festival will
this year team up with Stogumber Festi-
val to offer Open Mic entrants a chance
to win a performance slot supporting
Steve Knightley at this years Stogumber
Festival, along with some other exciting
opportunities.
Festival Director Will Lang says, ‘This is
a small festival that’s full of heart - cre-
ated to support young performers and it
offers something for all the family.’
From the top: Hothouse Festival 2013 Hires, Hattie
Briggs, Jess McAllister, Sam Kelly Band, Magic
Hothouse Festival
Halsway Manor, near Crowcombe,
Somerset, TA4 4BD. England UK.
Saturday 4 April, kicking off at 12 noon
and continuing until 11.30pm
Tickets are £10 Adults and £2 Children.
B&B £30. Camping (and Breakfast) £10
For information and tickets:
01984 618274 ext 1
www.halswaymanor.org.uk

9
Lettice and Lovage
Lettice Duffet, an expert on Elizabethan cuisine
and medieval weaponry, is an indefatigable but
daffy enthusiast of history and the theatre.
As a tour guide at Fustian House, one of the least
stately of London’s stately homes, she theatrically
embellishes its historical past, ultimately coming
up on the radar of Lotte Schon, an inspector from
the Preservation Trust.
Neither impressed or entertained by Lettice’s free-
wheeling history lessons, Schon fires her. Not one
however, to go without a fight, Lettice engages the
stoic, conventionial Lotte in battle to the death of
all that is sacred to the Empire and the crown.
This hit by the author of Equus and Amadeus fea-
tured a triumphant award-winning performance
by Dame Maggie Smith in London and on Broad-
way.

11
To study a plant in detail is to make a fas-
cinating journey of discovery. Even plants
we think we know well will often surprise
us as we look at the intricacy of their
structure and how they are put together.
We begin to wonder how they work, what
strategies enable them to survive difficult
environmental conditions and how they
interrelate with animals vital for pollina-
tion and seed dispersal.
Illustrated throughout with photographs
by John Bebbington and water-colour, pen
and ink studies and clear diagrams by the
author, together with selection of pictures
from other artists, this book should be
readily accessible to anyone even those
with little scientific background.
Opening chapters describe the evolution
of the flowering plants and their rela-
tionship to other plant groups. Practical
advice is also given on how to carry out
a botanical study together with informa-
tion on techniques and tools, and other
equipment used in botanical work.
The remainder of the book describes in
detail the structure and function of the
main parts of the flowering plant, high-
lighting features which are particularly
important in illustration for botanical
purposes. Separate chapters are devoted
to roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and
seeds, not only looking their form and
how they are put together, but also con-
sidering how special strategies help them
to survive in the natural world where
environmental conditions may be harsh
and the battle for survival fierce. Two
special chapters look at some of the fas-
cinating ways in which the plants achieve
successful pollination and fruit and seed
dispersal, mechanisms often involving
complex interrelationships with animal
behaviour or particular environmental
conditions. At the end of each chapter
projects are suggested, inviting readers to
assess their understanding and explore
further various aspects of the subjects
covered.
Anne Bebbington
The Author Anne L.D. Bebbington PhD
Anne gained a wide teaching expe-
rience in her career as a botanist and
ecology tutor for the Field Studies
Council and her interest and expertise
in illustration have always formed an
important part of her work. In retire-
ment, as a freelance natural history
illustrator, she works mainly in pen
and ink. She is also very keen to share
her enthusiasm for plants and, together
with her photographer husband, gives
talks to local groups and runs botani-
cal workshops for artists. She is a past
president of the Institute for Analytical
Plant Illustration.
UNDERSTANDING THE
FLOWERING PLANTS
Tuesday 14 April 2015
Talk and slideshow
with Anne Bebbington on
Understanding the Flowering Plants
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton
TA1 4ER 01823 337742
brendonbooks@gmail.com
A book written for botanical
artists, photographers and
anyone wishing to know more
about flowering plants

12
Pete Long’s ambition as a teenager was to
be a pilot. This ambition was reinforced
by the Star Wars films which he watched
at the cinema.
However, the Star Wars films influenced
him another way: he loved the music on
the soundtrack and started music lessons
at school, initially playing Sax and steel
pans. He had some basic introduction
to playing a musical instrument already
as he had played flute in the cadet force.
Then he discovered Glen Miller.
For him the quality of the pop music on
offer at the time was poor and he thinks
that it was this that drove him in this
direction – that and the free music ed-
ucation that was on offer. He is worried
that with recent cuts this kind of support
is no longer available as it used to be. It
was Croyden Music Service, supported
by the local council that gave him the op-
portunity to play with the County Wind
Youth Orchestra.
He enjoyed the experience, not least
because of the social life that was on
offer. He went to an all boys school and
this gave him the opportunity for the first
time to mix regularly with the opposite
sex. His musical taste had progressed
from Glen Miller to Benny Goodman
who he found more exciting and cutting
edge. He developed an interest in the
Clarinet and even had pieces composed
especially for him at the Youth Orchestra.
His first job had been in NatWest Bank.
From the beginning he did not feel it was
his natural forte. His supervisor who was
more able in bank work did not think so
either and reminded him of his inferior
station by, among other things drawing
obscene pictures and leaving them on his
desk.
Unfortunately, one of these found its
way into an envelope of bank statements
he was sending out and it was posted
to one of the banks oldest accounts. To
make it worse the letter was opened
by a nun of the Convent of the Sacred
Heart. He was called into the Manag-
er’s office and asked to explain himself.
He realised the bank was not for him
and enrolled in the London College of
Music.
His first experience as a band leader was
when he was with Harrow Youth Or-
chestra. The band leader had gone sick
and he stepped into the role. He enjoyed
the experience though he was not to
fulfill this role on a regular basis until
much later, following the arrangements
he put together for a Duke Ellington
concert where it became a natural pro-
gression for him to take the band leader
role. He particularly likes this role
because of the contact he has with the
audience. He enjoys explaining a piece
of music to an audience and seeing their
reaction (usually enthusiastic) when the
piece is played.
Pete played with the Rumba Show band
on the QE2 and back at home he began
playing with the Sax Quartet ‘Itchy
Fingers’. He toured South America,
Russia and Africa, working with many
of the greats such as Dizzy Gillespie,
John Scofield and Chic Corea. He also
spent five years with the Jools Holland
Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and has
worked with many pop singers of recent
and current times such as Tom Jones,
Lulu, Georgie Fame, Lionel Ritchie,
Will Young and Joss Stone.
In recent times he has spent a good deal
of time working with young people.
He finds the act of teaching a student and
them finally understanding and ‘getting
it’ and being able to reproduce what they
have learnt on a musical instrument very
rewarding and believes it has a value far
beyond the fact that they have mastered a
musical instrument.
‘They have to be disciplined,organised,
conquer performance fears and work as a
team,’ he explains.
He thinks it is a mistake if we do not
appreciate the very real benefits of a music
education and are unable to offer it on a
wide basis to our young, especially the
disadvantaged, believing that music can
transform young peoples lives.
Looking forward to the Duke Ellington
concert in April he declares himself in awe
of his music – no praise is too high. He be-
lieves he is ‘a musical magician that speaks
to your very soul.’ For, he says, ‘If you listen
to Duke Ellington’s music you have a direct
line to the “head of art”.’
Pete Long returns to Taunton on Saturday
18 April for his concert, Echoes of Ellington.
We took the opportunity to interview him. He
talks about his life, his concerns about the
musical opportunities available to the young
and looks forward to the concert.
Pete Long’s
Echoes of Ellington
7.30 pm Saturday 18 April
Queen’s College, Trull Road,
Taunton, TA1 4QS
Tickets
John Packer or TIC
01823 282386
www.johnpacker.co.uk

14
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Make yourself visible
while supporting the promotion of the
artistic community in Somerset
LAMP Magazine
c/o Brendon Books, Old Brewery Buildings
Bath Place Taunton TA1 4ER
01823 337742
lampmagazine1@gmail.com

15
The next two concerts to be present-
ed by Taunton Sinfonietta ensembles
feature, on Sunday April 12th at 3pm
in the Temple Methodist Church, the
Beacon Piano Trio, and on Satur-
day May 9th at 7.30pm in St James
Church, The Taunton Sinfonietta En-
semble to include a clarinet quintet.
Founded in 2001, the Beacon Piano
Trio consists of Annan Cockroft,
violin, Ruth Lass, cello and Joyce
Clarke, piano. They will play a varied
programme, starting in the baroque
era with a stately trio by Telemann,
then moving on to classical times
with a trio by Haydn, who did so
much to develop the genre. The sec-
ond half of the programme includes
works by the two most famous
Czech composers, Bedřich Smeta-
na ‘the father of Czech music’ and
his later contemporary Josef Suk.
The latter is a short Elegy written to
commemorate the death of the writer
Julius Zeyer, the former a large scale
work, surely one of the gems of this
repertoire, which was written after
the death of Smetana’s daughter,
Bedřiška, and contains some tragic,
but also some joyful music.
The Taunton Sinfonietta ensemble
plays in St James in May, with Mary
Eade leading, Anna Cockroft second
violin, Sarah Wormell viola, Vicky
Evans cello and Colin Parr clarinet.
The second of Beethoven’s first
group of string quartets, opus 18
number 2, shows his mastery of, to
him, a new form. Crisantemi, by Puc-
cini, has a melancholy theme, written
to commemorate the death of Duke
Amedeo of Savoy. Russian compos-
ers feature twice in the programme,
with the Improvisations for ‘Clarinet
Quintet’ by Alexander Glazunov, and
an arrangement for string quartet of
‘Two Little Pieces’ by Shostakovitch.
In February, the audience greatly
enjoyed the oboe concerto by Chris-
topher Ball, and I am sure those who
came to that concert will be look-
ing forward to hearing his Clarinet
Quintet. Colin Parr has played as
soloist with the orchestra on many
occasions, and never fails to delight
us with his mellow tone.
Robin Carpenter of
Taunton Sinfonietta
looks forward to
two spring concerts
Taunton Sinfonietta
Spring Concerts
3.00 pm Sunday 12 April
The Beacon Trio Benefit Concert
Temple Methodist Church, Taunton
7.30 pm Saturday 9 May
Taunton Sinfonietta Ensemble
St James’ Church, Taunton
All tickets from Taunton Information
Centre: 01823 336344
The Beacon Trio Quartet

16
Jack Fieldhouse was born in Shef-
field (Brightside) in 1919. He and his
brother Bob were educated at the
De La Salle College in Sheffield. His
father was the Chief Matalurgical
Chemist at the British Steel Corpo-
ration.
Jack, loathing maths convinced his
parents that he should leave school
at fourteen and join a decorating firm
in Rotherham, where he became ad-
ept at cleaning and painting gutters
and outside ‘lav’ doors!
At eighteen,with friends he joined an
Anti-Aircraft unit based at Wentworth
Woodhouse home of Lord and Lady
Fitzwilliam, and in 1938 the unit was
called up and sent to Hull where they
were,after a few weeks equipped
with 37 anti-aircraft guns.
‘We were often in action as German
bombers attempted to find their tar-
gets further inland. We were in action
in the midlands and the bombing of
Sheffield was a harrowing experi-
ence.
‘The unit was shipped to Algeria to
join the Fifth Army. In early 1943 we
were in Italy and with the German Air
Force reducing in strength we were
becoming redundant.’
Jack spent hours loading ammunition
a mile away from Monte Cassino
where he witnessed the strength of
the American Air Force which re-
duced the monastery to a pile of rub-
ble. The Poles and New Zealanders
then took the hill, suffering substan-
tial casualties. Ack Ack units were
transferred to Infantry where in north
Italy he was employed in mopping up
the remaining opposition.
They took over from the Russians,
the province of Cappadocia, before
taking over the whole of Austria. After
the war Austria was a holiday, and it
was to be until the spring of 1946.
De-mobbed Jack took up his art
training at Guildford art College. After
three years, with an art degree he
took up teaching in which profession
he was employed for 27 years.
Jack is married and has seven
children. He has kept bees for about
sixty years. He wrote a regular Coun-
try Column in the Somerset County
Gazette for many years and has
published three books in the last four
years. They are entitled: Jack Field-
house,Beekeeper and Artist- A Visual
Journey, Jack the Lad,an Autobiogra-
phy and Jack the Lad’s Doggerels. All
these titles are available form Bren-
don Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1
4ER. 01823 337742.
Jack Fieldhouse
Talk and Booksigning
7.00 pm Thursday 30 April
Brendon Books, Bath Place,
Taunton TA1 4ER
Tickets: £5
01823 337742
Bridgwater countryman, artist, beekeeper and
author, Jack Fieldhouse comes to
Brendon Books to talk about his life and work
The Covers of Jack’s three recent books: Artist and Beekeeper, Jack The Lad
and Jack the Lads Doggerels

18
Barron Knights
Back by popular demand
7.30pm Saturday 18th April 2015
Brewhouse Theatre
Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL
Box Office: 01823 283244
www.tauntontheatre.org.uk
THEY ARE BACK!!!!! and by popular demand
Probably the most entertaining group to come out of the
60’s and 70’s. Their musicianship,their harmonies and of
course their humour makes them what their peers call
them ‘The Guvnors’. They are supremely talented, a showbiz
phenomenon and the best tonic the N.H.S. could give the
population. They are the only group to have toured with
the Beatles and twice with the Rolling Stones.A show not to
be missed.
Over 300 shows at the London Palladium.A performance at
Buckingham Palace.
The Barron Knights inspired Bill Wyman to buy a Guitar
back in 1961.
You’ll be rockin and laughing as well as rolling. Apart from
the old favourites like call Up The Groups they play their
inimitable version of the William tell Overture and their
Flamenco party piece Malaguana. Their parody of Killer
Queen about will camilla be queen and the hilarious take
on of Windmills of your mind about what happens to your
body as you get older. Don’t miss this one. You will walk
out the theatre with happy memories.

19
Seventy years ago in 1945 Arthur
Temple, head of music at Taunton
School, founded the West Somer-
set Singers with the intention of
performing lesser known works in
contrast to the more well known
works performed by Taunton Cho-
ral Society. At this time the choir
had twenty-four singers drawn
mostly from the music staff of
local schools, and concentrated
on cameo, unusual and frequently
modern works.
The great Soprano, Isobel Baillie,
was also a soloist in those days, and
works such as E.J. Moerans ‘Songs of
Springtime’ and Malcolm Sargent’s ‘The
Second Cruxifixion’ appeared in the
programmes. Arthur Temple conducted
the choir for the first fifteen years or so
before handing over to the leading so-
prano, Elizabeth Rowe. Three years later,
the remarkable Bob Tullett, the musical
director at Bishop Fox’s School, took
on the baton.
He coached
the choir to
success at Bath
Music Festival.
Over the
years the
choir has seen
several changes
in conductor,
each of them
enriching the
choir with his or her own unique talents,
and we thank them for all for their
varied contributions to our growth and
longevity.
Choir numbers have fluctuated
throughout the decades but Arthur Tem-
ple’s original concept of performing little
known works has largely been main-
tained. Moreover, the commitment and
passion for singing has remained.
On Saturday 16th May 2015 the choir
will celebrate its 70th year with a special
Celebrating seven decades of choral music
concert at Taunton Baptist Church.
Included in the programme is Rossini’s
Petite Messe Solennelle, a challenging
and moving piece that the choir last per-
formed in their Diamond Jubilee year.
Pieces by Handel, Holst and a special
arrangement of Psalm 150 by the choir’s
own Musical Director, David Knight,
will ensure this special anniversary is
celebrated in style.
Tickets for the concert cost £10 and
will be available from Taunton Tourist
Information Office or on the door.
Concerts in the West audiences have the
opportunity to see the Devon born tenor
Rupert Charlesworth live at Ilminster Arts
Centre on 8 May.
The young singer has won a string of
awards since he graduated from The Royal
Academy of Music. He was Academy Laure-
ate of the Festival D’Aix-en-Provence in 2011
and followed this up by winning both the
jury and audience prizes at the 2013 Han-
del Singing Competition. This success was
repeated at the 2014 International Singing
Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro
Antonio Cesti.
During his short, but already bright career
Rupert has performed on prestigious Eu-
ropean operatic stages such as La Fenice,
Venice, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the
Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Opera
North. He has sung in roles including Da-
mon from Acis and Galatea for the Festival
d’Aix-en-Provence, Angel 3/John (cover)
in George Benjamin’s Written on Skin and
Soldier in Der Kaiser von Atlantis for the
English Touring Opera.
Rupert will be accompanied on this tour
by the acclaimed French pianist Edwige
Herchenroder who is already in great
demand as a leading song accompanist,
repetiteur and vocal coach. Edwige was
awarded the 2011/2012 Hodgson Fellow-
ship at the Royal Academy of Music and
has won many accompaniment prizes,
including first prize at the Oxford Lieder
Festival in 2011, as well as being the 2013
HSBC Pianist Laureate of the Festival
d’Aix-en-Provence.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Friday 8 May 2015 8pm,
Ilminster Arts Centre
at The Meeting House, East Street, Ilm-
inster, Somerset TA19 0AN. Box Office:
01460 55783 9.30am-4.30pm Monday
to Friday (Pre-concert supper at 7pm -
advanced booking required £12)
www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
Tickets: £15. Bar and café, IAC and
town parking, plus car parks, disabled
access.
West Somerset Singers

20
HCYM is a unique facility in the West County where young aspiring music students can
benefit from top quality music tuition on Saturdays in termtime. To find out more, visit
hestercombe.com/cym or on Facebook: HestercombeCYM.
Award-winning Wessex Male Choir
(www.wessexmalechoir.co.uk) will
be coming to Taunton on 13th June
with their guest choir, Os Vocalis, an
all-female choir from near Bergen in
Norway. The choirs will be performing
in St Mary Magdalene Church.
The idea of the concert came from
Wessex musical director, Katrine
Reimers, who was born and brought
up here in Taunton and is pleased to
have the opportunity to introduce the
two choirs to the town.
Katrine commented that she enjoyed
all the opportunities Taunton offered
to develop her musical interest when
she was growing up and is pleased
that students from Hestercombe
Centre for Young Musicians will also
be taking part.
It should prove a very entertaining
evening, with songs and choral works
to salute a West Country summer,
Wessex Greets Norway
In song
Wessex Greets Norway
In song
Sat 13th June
St Mary Magdalene Church
Taunton at 7:30pm
Tickets cost £12:50 for adults and
£6 for children and are available
from Brendon Books (01823
337742), Gillian Greig (01823
333317) Music, and Taunton
Tourist Information Centre
(01823 336344)
with echoes of the beauty of the Nor-
wegian fjords.
The concert will raise much-needed
funds for Children’s Hospice South
West. Chair of the local fund-raising
group, Annabel Martin commented
that she is delighted that the choirs
have chosen CHSW as their charity,
and hopes Taunton will give them a
very warm welcome. Musical Director
Katrine Reimers
Wessex Male Choir With Aled Jones in Sheffield

21
Vienna Festival Ballet’s
35 Anniversary
GALA
Brewhouse Theatre
Box Office: 01823 283244
Highlights from the world’s most
beloved Tchaikovsky ballets
7th - 9th May 2015 - 7.30pm
Plus Saturday Matinee 2.30pm
The Old Brick Workshop, the brain child of
Alison Cosserat, houses 9 self contained
artist studios and open-plan, shared
spaces for individuals in creative fields.
Only 2 studio spaces left!
Shared, open-plan spaces now available
in the new Community Room.
Community Room also available for
running workshops/classes.
For further information please contact
Alison direct.
The Old Brick Workshop, Higher Poole,
Wellington, Somerset, TA21 0HW.
TEL 07989465427
alison@theoldbrickworkshop.com

22
A Sunday Afternoon dis-
cussing love and obsession,
with thoughts based around
Truly, Madly, Deeply & A
Streetcar Named Desire.
by Dr. Lesel Dawson
Truly Madly Deeply

23
Catherine grew up in Bristol though
used to visit relations at Cutcombe near
Exmoor and she feels an emotional
attachment with the area.
Poetry has been her first love and she has
a number of poems in anthologies. She
has also written short stories and pieces
for the radio. In fact, The Well, her first
full length novel, was originally intended
the as a short story, though she realised
that it was too big and complex a story
to be embraced in the confines of a short
story.
She has wrote novella and a collection
of short stories ‘Rooms of the Mind’ in
2011. I asked her how the experience
of writing a novel differed from a short
story and poetry.
‘I thinks that in theory that every word in
a novel should be carefully weighted and
in the right place as in a poem - just that
it is on a different scale,’ she said after
some thought though added, ‘In reality,
this may be difficult to achieve.’
And how did they differ in purpose? A
short story is more like a snapshot giving
the reader an insight in which they can
then extend their own interpretation
whereas a novel gives you the chance to
go through the whole photograph album.’
She has written for Radio 4. Short fic-
tional pieces based around experience
with young people with mental health
problems and a story about a traveller
boy in a mainstream school. Her work
‘One summer was all it took before our
dream started to curl at the edges and
stain like picked primroses. One night
is enough to swallow a lifetime of lives.’
When Ruth Ardingly and her family
first drive up from London in their
grime-encrusted car and view The Well,
they are enchanted by a jewel of a place,
a farm that appears to offer everything
the family are searching for. An oppor-
tunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A
home for their grandson Lucien.
But The Well’s unique glory comes at a
terrible price, and quickly Ruth’s par-
adise becomes a prison, Mark’s dream
a recurring nightmare, and Lucien’s
playground a grave.
With the pace of a thriller and the heart
of a literary smash hit, The Well is a
dark and devastating tale of obsession,
motherhood and the complexity of
female relationships, wrapped inside a
gripping whodunit.
Her work and background feed into
The Well in the most powerful of ways,
raising searching questions on the
nature of motherhood, community and
responsibility.
Sometimes the very thing you
wish for is the worst thing that
can happen . . .
Catherine Chanter’s first novel has
already received many plaudits
is very often informed by her experi-
ence working in education where has
specialised in young people excluded
from mainstream education and on
mental health issues among the young
and with adopted children In fact, she
was herself adopted. Irish by birth but
brought up in England, she recently
found her biological mother by placing
an anonymous advert in the Galway
Gazette – only to discover her living
in Canada as a poet. Amazingly, their
writing styles were almost identical.
Catherine Chanter will be given a talk and reading & answering
questions at Brendon Books on Thursday 21 May 7.00 pm.
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
brendonbooks@gmail.com Tickets: £5

24
Bishops Lydeard Papershop
The Paper Shop is a friendly vil-
lage shop with local knowledge-
able staff. We are a Newsagent
and we stock a vast range of mag-
azines. We can order any special
interest titles and deliver them to
you or save them in the shop for
collection.
Address: 11 Church St, Bishop’s
Lydeard, Taunton TA4 3AT
Phone:01823 432456

25
April Events
31-4 Variety The Gang Show (plus Saturday matinee) Brewhouse, Theatre 7.15
1 Music CCS 2014/15 - English Piano Trio Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
2 Opera Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) Pop-
up Opera Company
Regal, Minehead 7.30
Ballet Swan Lake - Moscow Ballet Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Poetry Poetry Cafe lead by John Stuart CIC, Taunton 8.00
3 Music The Mandelring Quartet Castle Hotel, Taunton 6.00
4 Music The Mandelring Quartet Castle Hotel, Taunton 11am/6pm
Music Folk Music Night CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music Hothouse Festival Halsway Manor, Taunton all day
5 Music The Mandelring Quartet Castle Hotel, Taunton 11am
6 Music Quartetto di Cremona Castle Hotel, Taunton 11am
7-8 Pantomime Beauty and the Beast - Easter pantomime Octagon, Yeovil Various
8-9 Musical The Little Mermaid Brewhouse, Taunton 11/6
9 Ballet Aladdin - Ballet Theatre UK Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
10 Comedy Andrew Lawrence - Reasons to Kill Yourself Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Stand Up for Cider Open Mic Competition CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music Mike Denham & his Sunset Café Stompers Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Jackson - Live in Concert tribute Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Storytime Free story session - Cheddar Vael Lions, read to a lion Cheddar Library 2.30
11 Burlesque Shhh! Burlesque - cabaret and burlesque Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music SKA Night CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music 4 Parts Guitar David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Children’s Snail and the Whale Octagon, Yeovil Various
Music Taunton Deane male Voice Choir in concert with soloist Hannah Deason St Michaels Ch, Taunton 7.30
12 Music The Beacon Piano Trio Benefit Concert - Sinfonietta Temple Meth. Ch,Taun. 3.00
12-16 Musical South Pacific - amateur production with R&H Theatricals Europe
Saturday matinee
Wellesley, Wellington 7.30
14 Talk Anne Bebbington: Talk and slideshow on Understandingt the Flowering-
Plant
Brendon Books, Taunton 7.00
Music An Intimate Evening With Russell Watson Up Close and Personal Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
15-16 Comedy Jethro Octagon.Yeovil 7.30
15-18 Drama Gaslight - Blake Drama Club Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.45
17 Music Hazel O’Connor with Clare Hirst and Sarah Fisher Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music Richard Digance David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music The Fab Beatles (Tribute) Regal, Minehead
Music Tina May, Alan Barnes, Mark Nightingale with the Craig Milverton Trio Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Jeremy Hardy Live Octagon, Yeovil 8.00
18 Music Pete Long’s Echoes of Ellington Queen’s College 7.30
Music Taunton Choral Society - Hymn to Gaia and Rutter’s Magnificat St Mary’s Ch., Taunton 7.30
Date Event Details Venue Time
Events in date order. Contact details for most of the venues are given at the end of event listings. Please note, we do not
take any responsibility for errors or omissions. Please confirm with venue timings and programme details.

26
18 Music The Barron Knights Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music Country Music Night CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music Performance Evening David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
19 Music Festival of Song Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Talk Talk & Film showing of ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ followed by discussion Tacchi Morris, Taunton 2.00
20 Music The Fureys Regal,Minehead 7.30
Talk Jenny Barron’s Talk on her art CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music The Levels Collective: Solarference + Dead Rat Orchestra Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Projet Brassons CIC, Taunton 7.30
Comedy Grumpy Old Women - 50 Shades of Beige Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
20-25 Musical Sister Act - Taunton Amateur Operatic Society (Thu & Sat matinee) Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
21 Variety Essence of Ireland - Music and dance Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
22 Variety Flying Colours for Yeovil’s Women’s Hospital Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
23 Music Kings of Swing Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
24 Music Jazz Jam Gig Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
25 Children’s How the Koala Learnt to Hug - People’s Theatre Company Brewhouse, Taunton 2.30
Music Dire Streets - UK tribute to Dire Straits Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Acoustic Music Night CIC, Taunton 7.00
Music Spiro David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Concert - Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker Halsway Manor, Taunton ?
Talk Egyptian Society Talk with John Baines Friends Meeting Hse,
Taunton
2.00
25-6 Variety Let Me Entertain You - talent competition Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
27 Variety The Magnificent Music Hall - The Paper Moon Theatre Company Brewhouse, Taunton 2.30
28 Drama Lorca: Love in the Garden - Theatres Sans Frontieres Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music An Evening with Julian Lloyd Webber Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
29 Music Concert: Steve Turner 2015 Halsway Manor 7.30
Comedy Paul Mertons Impro Chums Octagon, Yeovil 8.00
Drama The Origin of the Species: Darwin -Tangram Theatre Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
30 Music The Fureys Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Talk Jack Fieldhouse countryman - Talk about his lief and books Brendon Books, Taunton 7.00
Debate Election debaste with Martin Bell organised by Taunton Forward Richard Huish 6.30
30-1 Music The Best of the Eagles - Talon tribute band Brewhouse, Taunton 8.00
April Events

27
May Events
1 Music The Neil Burns Trio with Jim Mullen Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Drama Blue Apple Theatre Company: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
2 Musical Back to Broadway Musical Theatre Show Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Variety Bridgwater’s Got Talent!! Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.00
4 Music Blackdowns Early Music Projects 2015 - Guest Director Andrew Parrott St John Baptist, Wellington 6.30
5 Comedy
Music
Al Murray - One Man One Guvnor
Sam Lee
Brewhouse, Taunton
Bridgwater Arts Centre
7.30
8.00
6 Drama House of Ghosts - Baroque Theatre Company Regal, Minehead 7.30
Music CCS 2015/2015 Sinfonia Classical - Emma Johnson Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
6-9 Drama Lettice and Lovage by Peter Schaffer Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster 7.30
7 Music The Manfreds - with original front man from Manfred Mann Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Poetry Fire River Poets: Poetry Reading by Christina Newson CIC, Taunton 8.00
7-9 Ballet 35th Annniversary Gala - Vienna Festival Ballet (also Sat matinee) Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
8 Music Rupert Charlesworth, tenor Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music St John’s Lunchtime Concert - Advance Students from Richard Huish St John’s Church, Taunton 12.45
8-9 Ballet Ballet Theatre UK: Aladdin Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
9 Music ‘Time to Tango’ Chamber Concert - Taunton Sinfonietta St James’ Church, Taunton 7.30
Music J S Bach - St Matthew Passion - Bridgwater Choral Society St Mary’s Church, Bridgwater 7.30
Music Kieran Goss David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Chamber Concert - Sinfonietta St James’ Church, Taunton 7.30
Variety Let Me Entertain You Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music Somerset Young Performers Gala Conicert Temple Methodist Ch, Taunton 7.00
10 Dance The Demon Barbers - music and dance show Octagon, Yoevil 7.30
11 Talk Jeremy Harvey on ‘Matisse: The Final Years’ Somerset College, Taunton 7.00
Comedy Jack Dee’s Help Desk Octagon, Yeovil 8.00
12 Drama The Beaux’ Stratagem - Bristol Old Vic David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Drama Sex in Suburbia - comedy drama Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
13 Variety We’ll Meet Again Octagon, Yeovil 2.30
13-16 Drama Unearthed - Folio Theatre Company Comedy drama (Thursday matinee) Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
14 Talk The YCCA presents the Age of Elegance Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Comedy Srewart Francis Pun Gent Tour Octagon, Yeovil 8.00
15 Music BenWaters on piano with his band Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music Gabrielle Ducomble with her Quartet Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Joe Mcelderry Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music AJ’s Big Band: ‘The Golden Years of Swing’ Tacchi-Morris 7.30
16 Music Orchestral Concert: Beethoven Symphony no. 8 - Somerset County Orch. Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Music Ralph McTell Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music Disco Revival CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music Lisa Knapp David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00

28
May Events
16 Music Somerset Song Prize semi-final Temple Methodist Ch, Taunto 10.30
Music SSAFA Concert. Taunton Deane male Voice Choir in concert with Yeovil-
ton Military Wives Choir.
St John’s Church, Yeovil 7.30
Drama Bristol Old Vic Theatre School: ‘The Beaux Stratagem’ Tacchi-Morris,Taunton 7.30
Music 70th Anniversary Concert - West Somerset Singers Taunton Baptist Church 7.30
17 Music Somerset Song Prize Grand Final Castle Hotel, Taunton 2.30
18-19 Children’s Danny the Champion of the World - London Contemporary Theatre
Also at 10.30am on the 19th.
Brewhouse, Taunton 5.30
20-23 Musical Bring It On The Musical (Sat matinee) Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
21 Talk Catherine Chanter talks about The Well at Brendon Books Brendon Books, Taunton 7.00
Comedy Paul Foot - Hovercraft Symphony in Gammon # Major Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Dance Bridgwater College Dance: She Tacchi-Morris 7.00
22 Comedy Richard Herring’s Lord of the Dance Settee Brewhouse, Taunton 8.00
Comedy Jimmy Carr – Funny Business Wellsprings Leisure Centre 8.00
Music Jazz Jam Gig Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Children’s Norwich Puppet Theatre: ‘Red Riding Hood’ Tacchi-Morris 11am
Comedy Gary Delaney: ‘Purist’ Tacchi-Morris 8.00
Music South West Rocks the 80s Tacchi-Morris 7.30
23 Music Cleverly Everly Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
24 Music The Young’uns David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
Comedy Henning Wehn Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
26 Comedy Rich Hall Octagon, Yeovil 8.00
Children’s Duck in Trouble Brewhouse, Taunton 2.30
28 Talk Jean Moorcroft Wilsoon on poet Edward Thomas Brendon Books, Taunton 7.00
Music Whitney: Queen of the Night Octagon. Yeovil 7.30
29 Variety Performance Evening David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
Music The Dave Newton Trio with Andy Panayi and Percy Persglove Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music The Pasadena Roof Orchestra Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
30 Music Acoustic Music Night CIC, Taunton 7.30
Music Castle Cary Choir 50th Anniversary Choir Sherborne Abbey 7.30
Dance Balletzboy:The Talent Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
31 Music The Searchers Octagon, Yeovil 7.30

29
Art Exhibitions April/May
23 February - 29 March 2015. MA and Other Post Graduates 2015. Art Schools participating; Aberystwyth University,
Brighton University, Falmouth University, University of Gloucestershire, UCLAN(Lancashire), University of Leeds, University
of Lincoln, University of Norwich, University of Portsmouth, and Slade School of Fine Art. Atkinson Gallery, Millfield School,
Street, Somerset, BA16 0YD Tel: +44 (0)1458 444332 Email: atkinsongallery@millfieldschool.com
Monday 23 March - Saturday 18 April. 3D2D Contemporary. What is contemporary art? Come along to Ilminster Arts Centre
and find out for yourself! Ilminster 3D2D Contemporary brings together the work of 12 well-established artists, to present a
snapshot of the vibrant contemporary art scene in the West Country. Ilminster Arts Centre at The Meeting House, East Street,
Ilminster, Somerset. TA19 0AN Information: 01460 55783. Box Office: 01460 54973 Email: info@themeetinghouse.org.uk.
Website: www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
26 March to 23 April. Colour Me Happy. An Exhibition of Paintings by Carmen Veliz. Carmen Veliz was born in Valparaiso,
Chile. She has studied in Ohio, USA; LSE; Bristol University and Plymouth University (BA in fine arts). She lives in Bristol
and is currently a member of artists 303, Friends of RWA and Clifton Arts Society. She has work held in galleries in Cheshire,
Taunton, Watchet, and London. She has exhibited in the West Country, Bristol and London. Creat
ive Innovation Centre, Memorial Hall, Paul Street, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3PF 01823 337477 www.creativeinnovationcentre.
co.uk
7-8 April. Stoke Studio. Taunton Library, Paul Street, Taunton TA1 3XZ 0845 345 9177 0845 345 9177XZ
20 April - 2 May. Taunton Art Group. Taunton Library, Paul Street, Taunton TA1 3XZ 0845 345 9177 0845 345 9177XZ
Monday 20 April - Saturday 16 May. The Magnificent Seven. Group exhibition featuring paintings, glass, stained glass engrav-
ing and sculpture. Ilminster Arts Centre at the Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeet-
inghouse.org.uk.
Monday 20 April - Saturday 23 May. Simon Cook: ‘Views from a Vanishing Point’. Open Monday- Friday 10am - 4pm, plus
show nights. Free. Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. Box Office: 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.
com.
28 April - 26 May. Jem McCluskey Reflex-One:A ‘cross-cutting’ portfolio.The portfolio includes work over a number of years
with an exploration of various genres, including portraiture, landscapes, natural history, still-life, architecture and travel.The
portfolio will also include some initial exploration into film which will form an ever-widening area of work in the future. Cre-
ative Innovation Centre, Memorial Hall, Paul Street, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3PF 01823 337477 www.creativeinnovationcentre.
co.uk
11-16 May. Friday Afternoon Cometrow Art Group. Taunton Library, Paul Street, Taunton TA1 3XZ 0845 345 9177 0845 345
9177XZ
Monday 18 May - Saturday 30 May. Reflections of Cornwall. A diverse collection of still-life, botanical studies, landscape and
photography by ten members of the Lizard Art Group who live and work on the Lizard peninsula. Ilminster Arts Centre at the
Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeetinghouse.org.uk.
26 May - 6 June. Somerset Society of Artists. Taunton Library, Paul Street, Taunton TA1 3XZ 0845 345 9177 0845 345 9177XZ
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Taunton Film Society: Love, Loss and Obsession
Sunday April 19, 2-6pm.
Venue: The Space, School Road,
Monkton Heathfield, Taunton TA2
8PD
Tickets £10, TFS members £7.50.
Tickets are available on the door, or
via our email:
tauntonfilmsociety@hotmail.co.uk
Everyone welcome.
Refreshments available.
There will be a Sunday afternoon dis-
cussing love, loss and obsession, with
thoughts based around the film ‘Truly,
Madly, Deeply’, and Tennessee Williams’
play ‘Streetcar Named Desire’. The event
is arranged by Taunton Film Society.
Love, loss and obsession are some of the
themes to be explored in relation to the
1990 film Truly, Madly, Deeply directed
by Anthony Minghella and the Tennessee
Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire.
The title of the conference is Truly, Madly
Deeply: On Love, Loss and Obsession.
It will consist of a screening of the film
accompanied by a paper given by our key-
note speaker, Dr. Lesel Dawson, a Senior
Lecturer at The University of Bristol. Her
talk will explore the depiction of love and
loss in Truly, Madly, Deeply and A Street-
car Named Desire, relating these works
to contemporary ideas about trauma
and recovery. There will then be a dis-
cussion period with the speaker, chair
and the audience.
Dr Dawson specialises in 16th and
17th century English Literature and the
history of emotions. Her book, Love-
sickness and Gender in Early Modern
Literature, explores representations of
erotic desire as an illness in Renaissance
medicine, philosophy, and the works of
Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
She is also interested in the dynamic
relationship between literary theory and
psychoanalysis and the ways in which
psychoanalysis can enhance our under-
standing of literature.
Dr Dawson is on the Board of Directors
for Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory
in Bristol. She will be remembered as
the very interesting keynote speaker at
Taunton Film Society’s Day Conference
in 2012 on Kazuo Ishiguro’s book and
film Never Let Me Go.

30
Atkinson Gallery, Millfield School, Street, Somerset BA16 0YD 01458 444322
Barn, Obridge House Priorswood, Taunton. Contact: Jeremy Harvey. 01823 276421
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL 01823 283244 enquiries@tauntontheatre.co.uk
Bridgwater Arts Centre, 11-13 Castle Street, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3DD 01278 422 700
The Castle Hotel, Castle Green, Taunton TA1 1NF 01823 272671
Caryford Community Hall, Ansford, Castle Cary, South Somerset BA7 7JJ
Cheddar Library, Union Street, Cheddar BS27 3NB chelib@somerset.gov.uk or 0845 345 9177
Cossington Village Hall Rrivetts Way , TA7 8LH.
Cotleigh Brewery Ltd, Ford Road, Wiveliscombe, Somerset TA4 2RE 01984 624086 info@cotleighbrewery.com
Creative Innovation Centre CIC, Memorial Hall, Paul Street,Taunton TA1 3PF. 01823 337477 info@creativeinnovationcentre.co.uk
The David Hall, Roundwell St South Petherton. TA13 5AA 01460 240340 info@thedavidhall.org
Dillington House, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9DT 01460 258648 dillington@somerset.gov.uk
Dunster Tithe Barn 01643 821658 info@dunstertithebarn.org.uk
Fyne Court, Broomfield, Somerset TA5 2EQ 01823 451587
Ginger Fig, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 326798
Halseway Manor, Crowcombe, Taunton, Somerset TA4 4BD 01984 618274
Hestercombe Gardens, Hestercombe, Taunton TA2 8LG 01823 413 923
Ilminster Arts Centre, East Street, Ilminster TA19 0AN 01460 55783 
Iminster Parish Hall, North Street, Ilminster, TA19 0DG
Museum of Somerset, Taunton Castle, Castle Green, Taunton Somerset TA1 4AA 01823 255088 www.somerset.gov.uk/museums
Music in the Quantocks 01823 451162
Oake Manor Golf Club,Oake Taunton  TA4 1BA 01823 461992
Octagon Theatre, Hendford, Yeovil BA20 1UX 01935 422884
Parish Church St John, Wellington, 72 High Street Wellington(01823) 662248
Porlock Village Hall, Toll Road (New Rd), Porlock TA24 8QD 01643 862717
Queen’s Conference Centre, Trull Road, Taunton Ta1 4QS 01823 272559 contact@queenscollege.org.uk
Regal Theatre, 10-16 The Avenue,  Minehead TA24 5AY 01643 706430 mail@regaltheatre.co.uk
Richard Huish College, 2 Kings Close,  Taunton, Somerset TA1 3XP 01823 320800
Silver Street Centre, Silver Street,  Wiveliscombe, Taunton, Somerset TA4 2PA 01984 623107
Somerset College, Wellington Road, Taunton TA1 5AX 01823 366366
Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society, Field Officer, Peter Daniel, 29 Barbers Mead, Taunton, TA2 8PY.
Telephone : 01823 339368. E-mail : peter.daniel51@btinternet.com
Somerset Rural Life Museum. Abbey Farm, Chilkwell Street, GlastonburySomerset BA6 8DB 01458 831197
St John’s Church, Park Street, Taunton TA1 4DG secretary@stjohnstaunton.org.uk
St Mary Magdalene Church, Church Square, Taunton TA1 1SA 01823 272441
St Mary’s Church, St Mary Street, Bridgwater TA6 3EQ 01278 422437 saintmarybridgwater@gmail.com
St Mary’s Church, Stogumber office.qtb@btinternet.com
St Peter & St Paul Church, Moor Lane, North Curry Ta3 6JZ 01823 490255
The Swan Theatre, 138 Park Street,Yeovil BA20 1QT swantheatre@gmail.com
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton TA2 8PD 01823 41 41 41 info@tacchi-morris.com
Taunton Flower Show http://www.tauntonfs.co.uk/
Taunton Forward www.tauntonforward.co.uk
Taunton Library, Paul St, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3XZ 0845 345 9177
Temple Methodist Church, Upper High Street, Taunton TA1 3PY (01823) 275765
Tyntesfield Wraxall, North Somerset, BS48 1NT
United Reform Church, Somerton
Warehouse Theatre,  Brewery Lane, Ilminster, TA19 9AD Tel 01460 57049
Wellesley Theatre, 50-52 Mantle Street, Wellington TA21 8AU 01823 666668
Wellington Arts Centre, Eight Acre Lane, Wellington, TA21 8PS 01458 250655
Wellsprings Leisure Centre, Cheddon Road, Taunton TA2 7QP 01823 271271
Yeovil Library, The Library, King George Street, Yeovil Somerset BA20 1PY Tel 01823 336370
Contacts List

31
Workshops, Courses & Classes (Jan-March)
Listings are for April-May by venue charged at £4.00 per line or part line (up to 110 characters including spaces) or as part
of an advertising package. Single individual entries also accepted.
Willow Workshops
Coates English Willows, Meare Green Court, Stoke St Gregory, Taunton, Somerset TA3 6HY
mailto:sales@englishwillowbaskets.co.uk Telephone: 01823 490249 (Mon-Fri 9-5).
April 2015
Saturday 11th Living Willow Structures Workshops 9.30am - 4pm £50.00
Saturday 11th Sowy Stitch Full Day £25.00
Friday 17th Cockerel and Chicken sculpture day 9.30am-4.30pm 65.00
Saturday 18th Spring Hare Sculpture workshop 9.30am-4.30pm £65.00
Saturday 18th Basket Making Workshops 9.30am - 4pm £85.00 (includes lunch)
May 2015
Saturday 02nd 2015 Sowy Stitch Full Day £25.00
Friday 08th Willow Animal Sculpture Day 9.30am-4.30pm £75.00
Saturday 09th Willow Deer Sculpture Day 9.30am-4.30pm £65.00
Saturday 16th Basket Making Workshops 9.30am - 4pm £85.00 (includes lunch)
Saturday 16th Plant Supports Willow Workshop 9.30am - 4pm £50.00
Saturday 23rd Duck & Goose Sculpture Workshop 9.30am - 4.30pm £65.00
SAGT Workshop
Thursday 21 May 7.30 Drawing Workshop on pen & wash. Tutor: Julian Fraser at CICCIC,Memorial Hall, Paul Street,Taunton
TA1 3PF. 01823 337477 info@creativeinnovationcentre.co.uk
Regular classes at the Bridgwater Arts Centre: 11-13 Castle Street Bridgwater TA6 3DD
Watercolour class: Every Wednesday 10 - noon
Bridgwater Voices Community Choir: Every Wednesday 7.30 - 9pm
Bridgwater Silver Community Choir: Every Tuesday 10.30 - noon
Jazz Workshop: Every Tuesday 7.30 - 9pm, Salsa: Every Wednesday 8-10pm
1st Thursday - Pub Quiz, 2nd Thursday - Folk Session, 3rd Thursday - Acoustic Session,
4th Thursday - Jazz Session, Knit’n’knatter: Thursday Fortnightly: 10.30-12.30
Please note that these may be subject to cancellation when there is a Theatre event on.
Bar as follows: We are open every Wednesday and Thursday, plus event nights.
When we do not have a theatre event we have social events in our Bacroom Bar

Halsway Manor, Halsway Lane, near Crowcombe, Somerset, TA44BD
Telephone: 01984 618 274 office@halswaymanor.org.uk
Halsway Manor Easter Dance Party 2015 Sunday 5th April - Friday 10th April 2015
Irish Set Dancing Weekend 2015 Friday 10th April 2015 - Monday 13th April 2015
Contra and Square Dance Week 2015 Monday 13th April 2015 - Friday 17th April 2015
Bill and Meg’s Traditional Song Weekend 2015 Friday 17th April 2015 - Sunday 19th April 2015
Anglo Scottish Dance Week Monday 20th April 2015 - Friday 24th April 2015
Acoustic Guitar Masterclass 2015 Friday 24th April 2015 - Sunday 26th April 2015
Arts & Crafts Weekend Workshops 2015 Friday 24th April 2015 - Sunday 26th April 2015
Basketry - one round base, many baskets 2015 Monday 27th April 2015 - Friday 1st May 2015
Storytelling - Put a Spring in Your Telling! Tuesday 28th April 2015 - Friday 1st May 2015
May Day Celebrations 2015 Friday 1st May 2015 A day for local schools to visit Halsway Manor
Society for International Folk Dance 2015 Friday 1st May 2015 - Tuesday 5th May 2015
Violin Making Course Spring 2015 Friday 8th May 2015 - Monday 11th May 2015
American Contra Week 2015 Monday 11th May 2015 - Friday 15th May 2015
Recorders Weekend 2015 Friday 15th May 2015 - Sunday 17th May 2015
Walking and Singing Week May 2015 Monday 18th May 2015 - Friday 22nd May 2015
Beyond Playford 2015 Friday 22nd May 2015 - Sunday 24th May 2015
Whitsun Voices, Viols and Recorders 2015 Sunday 24th May 2015 - Friday 29th May 2015
Folk Musicians’ Weekend 2015 Friday 29th May 2015 - Sunday 31st May 2015

32
Vienna Festival Ballet
35th ANNIVERSARY GALA
Vienna Festival Bal-
let celebrates 35 years
with an Anniversary
Gala. They will pres-
ent highlights from
the world’s most beloved
Tchaikovsky ballets which
have featured in their reper-
toire over the years.
Highlights will include the legendary
Rose Adagio and the Bluebird pas de
deux from Sleeping Beauty, as well as
Clara’s journey to the glittering land of
snow in The Nutcracker. Gershwin’s
ground breaking Rhapsody in Blue is
also featured, as is the famous lake-
side scene from Swan Lake, including
the Dance of the Cygnets, which
opens the second act. The highly suc-
cessful Hip Hop scene from Vienna
Festival Ballet’s Snow White also ap-
pears here, as does the Dance of the
Mirlitons and the Trepak Dance from
the Nutcracker. The gala closes with
the beautiful Corn pas de deux from
Coppélia and a spec-
tacular grand finale.
The Vienna Festival
Ballet tours extensively
throughout the UK, bring-
ing well known classics to
both big cities and small towns. As
Artistic Director Peter Mallek ex-
plains, “A lot of the bigger companies
cannot perform in smaller venues.
We have tailored our productions so
that we are able to adjust the ballet
to fit all different sizes of stage. This
means we can bring ballet as close
Vienna Festival Ballet
35th Anniversary Gala
Brewhouse Theatre
Box Office: 01823 283244
7th - 9th May 2015 - 7.30pm
Plus Saturday Matinee 2.30pm
to home for our audiences as
possible, so they don’t have
extra travel costs and long
journeys. They can see a
very high standard of ballet
at an affordable price, right on
their doorstep.”
Vienna Festival Ballet’s reflection on
35 years of performing all over the
world promises to take you on an un-
forgettable journey through the best
of ballet in one magical evening.
The Dance of the Mirlitons Snow White

33
Named as one of
the top 50 of all
bookshops in the UK
by the
Independent
Newspaper in
February 2012
01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
www.brendonbooksonline.co.uk
Forthcoming talks and book signings for April and May
All talks take place a 7.00 pm except where otherwise stated
Children’s event: Saturday 11 April, 11am Julia Copus, Hog and the Shrew and the Hullabaloo
Tuesday 14 April Understanding the Flowering Plants, Anne Bebbington
Thursday 30 April Jack Fieldhouse, His life and books
Friday 8 May Marc Morris, King John, Treachery, Tyranny and the Road to Magna Carta
Thursday 21 May Catherine Chanter, The Well
Thursday 28 May, Jean Moorcroft Wilson, Edward Thomas: From Adlestrop to Arras
Sign up to our weekly e-newsletter and event reminder service
for talks organised by Brendon Books
Email contact details to: brendonbooks@gmail.com
Books: New and Old
Classical CDs and cards
School Supply with free delivery to local schools

34
The latest Hestercombe Gallery exhibi-
tion focuses on the personal passions of
art collector Chris Ingram, and showcas-
es important works from the twentieth
century to the present day. More recent
contemporary works by artists such as
Peter Howson, Ken Currie, Ray Richard-
son and Suki Chan juxtaposes Modern
British luminaries such as Dame Elisa-
beth Frink, Carel Weight, Lynn Chad-
wick, Kenneth Armitage, David Bomberg
and Frank Auerbach. The exhibition
features sculpture, works on canvas and
paper as well as film.
Since he started collecting in 2002 Chris
Ingram has built what is one of this
country’s foremost and most signifi-
cant collections of Modern British art.
Continually evolving and growing, it
has been created with exemplary visual
flair and an unerring eye for quality. The
Collection is able to demonstrate the
connections, contrasts and development
of the avant-garde in Britain. There is
a particular emphasis on the post-War
period, with works that show artists’
responses to the existential anxieties and
challenges of the contemporary world
and their search for new visual languages
with which to express them.
This exhibition not only attempts to
analyse Chris Ingram’s collectors eye,
but it brings together face-to-face such
historic and contemporary works as
Aleah Chapin’s nude ‘The Tempest’
from 2013 with Jacob Epstein’s ‘Sunita
Reclining’ from 1930. Similarly
Tristram Hillier’s ‘The Cruci-
fixion’, painting in Somerset
in 1952 resonates with Peter
Howson’s monumental painting
of the ‘Resurrection’ from 1999,
both of which, suggests Ingram,
seem to have an uncanny rele-
vance to today’s world events.
Hestercombe has always had
a place at the leading edge of
creativity, from C W Bamp-
fylde and his borrowed views
in the eighteenth century to
Jeykyll and Lutyens pushing
the boundaries of garden
design and planting in the early
1900s. This, the fourth exhibi-
tion at Hestercombe Gallery,
is no exception. Curated by
Tim Martin, it aims to use the
reclaimed spaces to showcase
these important historic and
contemporary works side by
side in a series of themed rooms
to present new ways of seeing.
Chris Ingram’s growing interest in
contemporary and emerging artists, has
seen him provide support for MA stu-
dents from the major art schools in Lon-
don, as well as looking at new ways of
supporting and promoting the arts. This
approach chimes with Hestercombe’s
commitment to developing an artist in
residence and education programme
and building a gallery of regional signifi-
cance.The Hestercombe Gallery, which
opened in 2014 in Hestercombe House,
aims to showcase national and inter-
A Personal Passion
The Ingram Collection of Modern British
and Contemporary Art at Hestercombe House
Dame Elisabeth Frink, Bird, 1958 © Frink Estate and
image courtesy of The Ingram Collection
national contemporary art. The gallery
is made up of simple spaces, stripped to
reveal their architectural heritage, provid-
ing an interesting and thought-provoking
gallery for the region.
A Personal Passion: The Ingram
Collection of Modern British and
Contemporary Art
will be exhibited from
25th April – 5th July 2015.
The Gallery is open seven days a week
from 11am – 5pm.
To find out more about
Hestercombe, visit the
Hestercombe website:

35
Jean Moorcroft Wilson is
an eminent literary biogra-
pher, a lecturer at Birkbeck
College and a leading
expert on First World
War Literature. She is the
author of biographies of
Siegfried Sassoon, Charles
Hamilton Sorley and Isaac
Rosenberg and the niece of
Virginia Woolf.
Along with Sassoon and
Wilfred Owen, Edward
Thomas is by any reckon-
ing a major First World War
poet.
A war poet is not one who chooses to
commemorate or celebrate a war, but
one who reacts against having a war
thrust upon him. His great friend Rob-
ert Frost wrote ‘his poetry is so very
brave, so unconsciously brave.’
From Adlestrop to Arras
Apart from a most illuminating
understanding of his poetry, Dr
Wilson shows how Thomas’ life
alone makes for absorbing reading:
his early marriage, his dependence
on laudanum, his friendships with
Joseph Conrad, Edward Garnett,
Rupert Brooke and Hilaire Belloc
among others. The novelist Elea-
nor Farjeon entered into a curious
menage a trois with him and his
wife. He died in France in 1917, on
the first day of the Battle of Arras.
This is the stuff of which myths are
made and posterity has been quick
In Memoriam (Easter 1915)
The flowers left thick at nightfall in the wood
This Eastertide call into mind the men,
Now far from home, who, with their sweethearts, should
Have gathered them and will do never again
Jean Moorcroft Wilson:
Edward Thomas: From
Adlestrop to Arras
Talk followed by signing
at Brendon Books
at 7.00 pm on
Thursday 28 May
Tickets £8.00
Brendon Books, Bath
Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
01823 337742
to oblige. But this has tended to ob-
scure his true worth as a writer, as Dr
Wilson argues.
Edward Thomas’s poems were not
published until some months after
his death, but they have never since
been out of print. Described by Ted
Hughes as ‘the father of us all’,
Thomas’s distinctively modern sensi-
bility is probably the one most in tune
with our twenty-first century outlook.
He occupies a crucial place in the
development of twentieth century
poetry. This is the extraordinary life
of a poetic genius.
The first new book on Edward Thomas for 30 years
by eminent biographer Jean Moorcroft Wilson is
looked forward to with great anticipation

36
The Old Brick workshop is a new
creative space in Wellington. Judging
by the response so far, it is fulfilling a
need for reasonably priced spaces for
those in the creative industry to work
on their own or share a space with
other artists.
The workshop is next to Viridor, not far
from Poole Waste recycling Centre and
you may be forgiven for not considering
this the obvious choice for art work-
shops.
In fact, sitting in one of the workshop
areas talking to Alison Cosserat, whose
brainchild this is, I was struck by how
quiet it was and, in fact, what an imagi-
native use it was for a brown-field site.
It is spacious, on two floors. There are
nine self-contained artist studios and
open plan shared spaces for those in the
creative fields. There is also communal
room for artists to meet and share ideas
and plans for a gallery in the autumn.
This is due to open in time for Somerset
Arts Week in September and Alison
welcomes enquiries from prospective
exhibitors for Somerset Arts Week.
The Communal workspace is available
on a monthly basis in eight four hour
slots so their will be options for morn-
ing, afternoon or evening sessions.
Secure storage will also be provided. The
workspaces will be available at £40 per
month.
Alison came up with the idea when she
had to move from her previous stu-
dio which was located on the old Fox
Brothers site (the current Fox Brothers
business trades from a new site). Alison
found the Old Brick Workshop site, es-
tablished her own studio and then began
work with the idea of offering spaces
to others in the creative field. It has not
been an easy task. A number of chang-
es were required; walls were knocked
down and partitions erected. Alison has
managed this all virtually single-handed
though she struck lucky with, James, her
first tenant who proved to have useful
building skills and has proved to be just
the kind of community minded tenant
she is looking for. Like many other of
the tenants that have taken up a studio,
he had come from pursuing a founda-
tion degree at Somerset College.
Alison, who grew up in Somerset, also
took the foundation degree at Somerset
College a number of years ago before
going on to Lancaster University to study
Fine Art . Following her degree, and after
a period in France, she successfully applied
for a job restoring antique furniture in
Taunton. Eventually she became self em-
ployed and now specialises in the resto-
ration of decorative surfaces on antique
furniture, specialising in gold leaf and
lacquer work.
Her vision is to create a harmonious
community of co-working artists. Fellow
artists will be encouraged to run their own
courses – such as a drawing workshop or a
print workshops.
She believes it is a rewarding experience
mixing with artists and those in the cre-
ative field. She may, even, she believes be
tempted to return to her fine art and paint
again.
As we went to press, only a couple of the
studios remained for hire so it looks as
though Alison has already gone a long way
down the road to achieving her vision -
and a dedicated gallery space is a much
need additon for the Wellington commu-
nity.
The Old Brick WorkShop
One of the studios
Alison at work

37
Historian Marc Morris
comes to Taunton to talk
about his latest book, King
John: Treachery Tyranny
and the Road to Magna
Carta, published to coin-
cide with the 800 year an-
niversary of Magna Carta.
Marc Morris specialises in medieval
history. King John follows a number of
successful books: Norman Conquest,
Edward I and Castle (which accompanied
a successful channel 4 series of the same
subject). His interest in medieval history
stems from his undergraduate stud-
ies at King’s College, London.
One of the advantages of Uni-
versity, he found, is that you can
choose which era to study. When
he looked at what was on offer at
University, it was medieval history
that attracted him and has fascinat-
ed him ever since. He liked the fact
that it was different to the modern
period that had been mainly on
offer to him at school while at the
same time, unlike the study of the
ancient world, for example, where
customs and rituals are totally
alien to what we know today you
are studying in many cases the
foundations of our modern world,
for example in the formation of shires
and counties and the origins of our law
system. There was also something ineffa-
ble, an affinity which he felt with stories
of olden times from childhood.
There was also an a good range of sourc-
es on offer but not so much as with more
recent periods where there is an untold
wealth of resources – so much so that
it is impossible to read everything that
is on offer. He is satisfied that when he
studies a particular event in history he
has read more or less all the material that
is available on the subject.
His MA was partly on the Magna Carta
so he comes to the subject of King John
and Magna Carta well prepared.
There is no doubt that John was ambi-
tious and relentless and as a young man
there were many plots and intrigues on
his way to gaining the crown. Having
lost his lands to France he battled to get
them back, invaded Scotland and Wales
and made enemies of those who were
formerly his friends. In order to achieve
his ends he imposed heavy fines and
taxes. A quarrel with the Pope Innocent
III, resulted in John’s excommunication.
The dead were buried in unconsecrated
ground and the church bells no longer
rang. His rule was tyrannical and per-
ceived as unjust resulting in conspiracy
and revolt and the Magna Carta.
John is familiar to us as the villain from
the tales of Robin Hood – greedy, cow-
ardly and cruel- but how far is this a true
image of him and how far was his reign
directly responsible for the actions that
led to the Magna Carta? Marc Morris
draws on contemporary chronicles and
the King’s own letters to bring the real
John to life.
Treachery, Tyranny and
the Road to Magna Carta
Marc Morris
King John, Treachery, Tyranny
and the Road to Magna Carta
Talk and Booksigning
Friday 8 May at 7.00 pm
Venue and tickets:
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton
TA1 4ER 01823
01823 337742
The siege of Chateau Gaillard

38
Founded in 1955 by a small group of
church music enthusiasts, whose aim
was to bring to the churches of Somerset
part of the choral heritage of the Church
of England, the choir was first known as
the Rural Church Singers. They became
well-known to many small country
congregations to whom they travelled
to sing Choral Evensongs. Those early
days were not without incident. Re-
cords tell of the time when the evening
canticles to be sung were changed at the
last moment owing to choir balance, but
the decision did not reach the organist
in the organ loft. On another occasion,
a certain pipe-smoking tenor caught
fire as the choir waited to process into a
church.
Today under their new name, In
Ecclesia, adopted in 1995, the choir is
still fulfilling that original aim, but has
also travelled far beyond the Somerset
borders to sing in many of the Country’s
finest churches, including Westminster
Abbey, and more recently the cathedrals
of Salisbury and Christ Church, Oxford.
There have also been trips abroad to
the cathedrals of St Patrick and Christ
Church in Dublin, and to France to sing
in 12th century churches in Poitou-Cha-
rentes. One thing that never appears to
have changed over the years is the feeling
of camaraderie that has existed in the
choir, making its activities so enjoyable.
The unique nature of In Ecclesia does
mean that making ends meet is not easy,
as the choir does not benefit financially
from its church or cathedral based per-
formances, which are the choir’s raison
d’être. In order to raise funds to supple-
ment member’s subscriptions and the
60 years of Evensong
generous support of its Friends, the choir
therefore gives two concerts each year.
The choir’s Anniversary Concert this year,
under their conductor, Laurence Blyth,
will take place, appropriately, at St Mi-
chael’s Church, Milverton, which is where
the Rural Church Singers sang their first
Evensong on 31 May 1956. The concert
on 6 June will include Fauré’s Requiem,
and the first performance of a new work
by John Bodiley, who has been direc-
tor of music at the churches of St Mary,
Bridgwater, and Holy Trinity, Taunton.
His sensitive accompanying skills have
supported many a student from Richard
Huish College in their exams and he has
worked with In Ecclesia as an occasional
director and organist.
The crowning event of In Ecclesia’s Anni-
versary year will be a week-end of services
at York Minster in October.
For more information about the choir and
its activities visit their website at
www.inecclesia.org.uk.
Next Concert: 6 June, 7.30pm.
Anniversary Concert at St Michael’s
Church, Milverton.
As Taunton based choir In Ecclesia celebrates its 60th Anniversay,
In Ecclesia member Christopher Markwick looks back on its origins
and development and to future performances.
In Ecclesia in rehearsal
In Ecclesia at Salisbury

39
Gabrielle Ducomble Quartet
Saturday May 16th 8.00pm (doors from 6.45pm )
Rising star Gabrielle is rapidly putting her sophisticated
Gallic stamp on to the British jazz scene. Technically gifted
and artistically at home in styles ranging from contemporary
jazz to French popular song, Gabrielle oozes sophistication
and charm, and will seduce you with her elegance and joie
de vivre.
So allow yourself to be transported back to the shady night-
clubs of Montmartre and the infamous Pigalle. From French
Chansons, through passionate Tango, Latin American clas-
sics, Bossa Nova and the era of beauty and tragedy in fin de siecle Paris, to the elegant standards from the great songbooks, it
promises to be an unmissable evening
As Piaf states : NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN 01278 451187 or rogercollett.sounds@talktalk.net
Reserved seats £15.00 (inc. a Bucks Fizz reception and French style tasty treats from Roger Collett
OBITUARY: HUGH CYRIL PRUDDEN (1929-2015)
The following is adapted from a longer obituary provided by fellow geologists Andy King and Denis Parsons of the Som-
erset Geology Group and Somerset Heritage Centre respectively.
Hugh was born in Bedford in January 1929 and gained an MA Cantab in Geography from
Cambridge University in 1952. Taught Geography and Geology in Tunbridge Wells, Cheltenham
and Keynsham before moving to Somerset to teach at Yeovil Grammar School and later at Yeovil
Sixth Form College where he was a lecturer from 1974-89.
At the same time he contributed to many geography publications, was involved in examination
boards, the University of Bristol and was a member of the Earth Science Teachers Association.
When he married Lorna in 1960 and they settled in Montacute he welcomed visiting academics
and professionals. His contribution to the field of Geography was immense. He assisted in many
British Geological Association memoirs, led many geographical field trips in Somerset and Dor-
set and assisted at the International Field Symposium on the British Jurassic held in Weymouth
in 1969.
He developed a particular interest in the Geology and Landscape of Yeovil, The Blackdown Hills
and the Vale of Taunton. He also developed a detailed knowledge of Somerset building stones
and contributed to the recent revision of the local Pevsner and the national Strategic Stone Study covering Somerset and Ex-
moor National Park. He was also known for his instrumental work recording temporary geological sections.
Hugh was a member of many geological and natural history organisations, including the Geologists’ Association, Devonshire
Association, Dorset GA Group, Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society and the Somerset Wildlife Trust. For
many years he was also a Committee member of the Ussher Society and was Organising Secretary for their Minehead confer-
ence. Hugh became a member of the Somerset Geology Group upon its foundation by Professor Desmond Donovan in 1984;
he was the Group’s Secretary and Convener since 1992, diligently organising the regular meetings and circulating the SGG
Newsletter to some 70 recipients. In recognition of his efforts and contribution to geology, Hugh was first awarded The Geolo-
gists’ Association Halstead Medal (1994) and later the R. H. Worth Prize from The Geological Society (2007).
In all Hugh was involved in nearly 70 publications, many of them written in retirement. They included scientific papers, leaf-
lets and books, including Geology and Landscape of Taunton Deane (2001) which was awarded second prize in the Lasmo.
Aside from geography and geology he was also an enthusiastic gardener, liked beagling, captained a local skittles team at The
Phelips Arms and enjoyed music.
Hugh died on 8th January 2015, his 86th birthday. He had been suffering poor health for some time and found his increasing
lack of mobility extremely frustrating. He will be sorely missed and fondly remembered by many people. Hugh’s last wishes
were that his comprehensive collection of geological documents, papers, records, logged sections and maps should be depos-
ited in the Somerset Heritage Centre (where they will be available for all to study in the ‘Hugh Prudden Archive’) and that the
Somerset Geology Group, of which he remained Secretary to the very end, should actively continue and flourish. He leaves a
wife Lorna, a son Mark, a daughter Jenny, and three adult grandchildren Harry, Toby and Chloe.
Copies of Geology and Landscape of Taunton Deane are still available from: Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER

40
Tacchi-Morris
Arts Centre has
just launched two
competitions that
aim to celebrate
the work of talent-
ed writers from
the south west
and beyond.
To celebrate there will
be a week of literary
events planned includ-
ing two opportunities
for writers to share
their work in front of a
live audience, a performance by Reduced
Shakespeare Company and an evening
called Partners in Crime where local
crime writer Chris Ewan will be inter-
viewing author of ‘Vera’ and ‘Shetland’
Ann Cleeve and award-winning historical
crime author Andrew Taylor. So what are
you waiting for? Put pen to paper and get
creative or simply come along and enjoy
the festival atmosphere.
The Page is Printed - Tacchi-Morris Arts
Centre’s annual creative writing compe-
tition centred around the A4 page - is
a celebration of creative writing and
spoken word and entries can be in any
genre whether it be a love letter, a short
story, a poem, a court summons or even
a shopping list! The only rule being your
entry must be contained on just one side
of A4 paper and entries (online, by email,
or by post) must be received by 9am on
Friday 1st May.
The esteemed
panel of judges
will be looking for
something bold,
imaginative and
original that comes
to life when it is
read aloud! So dare
to be different and
let your creativity
run wild. For adults
there is a first prize
of £200, a second
prize of £100, and
a third prize of
£50 to be won. For
under 18s there
are three prizes of
£50 up for grabs, plus all those entering
the competition will receive a compli-
mentary ticket to The Page is Printed
Celebration Evening on Friday 19th
June.
Curated by Graeme Ryan, the huge-
ly entertaining The Page is Printed
Celebration Evening features writers
of all ages from across the UK, poet-
ry, rap, short stories and live music
in the bar. The stage is open to ab-
solutely anyone so bring along your
Creative Writing Festival
at Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
Calling all creative writers and playwrights!
Reduced Shakespeare Company
The three Partners in Crime authors who will be appearing at the festival. From the left: Chris Ewen, Andrew Taylor and Ann Cleeves

41
competition entry to share or another
piece of writing (maximum one side of
A4) and expect a night of collective cre-
ativity likely to make you laugh, possibly
pull at your heart strings and most defi-
nitely lift your spirits and enrich your
soul! The winners of The Page is Printed
competition will also be announced.
For budding playwrights with a plot
they are burning to take to the stage,
there is a special competition just for
you. Page to Stage offers writers the
unique opportunity to develop their
work with three bursaries of £100 up
for grabs, and a chance to stage the
work-in-progress at Tacchi-Morris Arts
Centre on Thursday 18th June.
Play scripts and excerpts are invited of
no more than 20 pages in length, or 20
minutes in performance time. Scripts
will be read by a professional team and
selected playwrights will be awarded
bursaries and the opportunity to utilise
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre’s profes-
sional rehearsal facilities. Playwrights
will need to source their own acting
and directing cast and the deadline for
entries (by email or by post) is 9am on
Event Information
The Page is Printed Competition
Deadline for entries: 9am, Friday 1st
May 2015.
Entry Fee: Adults: £4 (single entry), £10
(up to three entries per person). Under
18’s: Free (for up to three entries per
person). Everyone who enters the com-
petition is eligible for a complimentary
ticket to attend The Page is Printed Cel-
ebration Evening on Friday 19th June.
Enter online: www.tacchi-morris.com/
whats-on/the-page-is-printed-compe-
tition. By email: thepageisprinted@
gmail.com or by post to the address
below.
Page to Stage Competition
Deadline for entries: 9am, Friday 1st
May 2015.
Entry Fee: Adults: £10 per script.
Under 18’s: Free. Everyone who enters
the competition is eligible for a com-
plimentary ticket to attend the Page to
Stage Evening on Thursday 18th June.
Submit your script by email: info@
tacchi-morris.com or by post to the ad-
dress below (marking envelope for Page
to Stage Competition)
The Page is Printed Celebration Eve-
ning
Takes place on Friday 19th June.
Participant registration takes place in
the foyer from 7pm, the event starts at
7:30pm. Tickets £4. Free to entrants of
The Page is Printed Competition.
Page to Stage Evening
Takes place on Thursday 18th June at
7pm. Tickets: £4. Free to entrants of the
Page to Stage Competition.
Reduced Shakespeare Company in The
Complete Works of William Shake-
speare (abridged) [revised].
Saturday 20th June at 7.30pm. Tickets:
£16 / £14 Concessions.
Partners in Crime
Wednesday 24th June at 7:30pm. Tick-
ets: £8 / £5 Students. Books will be on
sale for the individual authors.
At Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School
Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD.
Box Office: 01823 414141.
Email: info@tacchi-morris.com.
www.tacchi-morris.com.
Friday 1st May. All
entries will receive a
free ticket to the Page
to Stage Event on
Thursday 18th June,
where there will also
be a chance for the
audience and judges
to feedback to the
winning playwrights.
The festival gathers
pace come the week-
end when Reduced
Shakespeare Com-
pany treat us to The
Complete Works
of William Shake-
speare (abridged)
[revised] on Saturday
20th June. Expect
a fast-paced romp
through all 37 of the
Bard’s plays in just 97
minutes! Written by
Adam Long, Dan-
iel Singer and Jess
Winfield, and directed
by Reed Martin and
Austin Tichenor, don’t
miss the chance to join these madcap
men in tights as they weave their wicked
way through all of Shakespeare’s come-
dies, histories and tragedies in one wild
ride that will leave you breathless and
helpless with laughter.
Appreciators of great stories packed
with mystery will thoroughly enjoy
Partners in Crime on Wednesday 24th
June. Hosted by bestselling Taunton au-
thor Chris Ewan, this thrilling evening
features interviews with award-winning
author Ann Cleeves, whose novels
Vera and Shetland have both been
adapted into major television series’,
and acclaimed historical crime novelist
Andrew Taylor - author of number one
bestseller The American Boy and The
Times Book of the Year, The Silent Boy.
There will be a chance to chat to the
trio after the show and get your books
signed. Books will be available to buy on
the night courtesy of Brendon Books,
Taunton.
By Sara Loveridge
Above: Entry from last year for From Page to Stage and some of
the wiinners of last years The Page is Printed competition

42
by Paul Tobin
http://writersanontaunton.
wordpress.com/
So, you’ve written the first thirty
thousand words in that initial
flush of creativity. What now?
This is the difficult part; finding
strategies to keep you writing.
And what’s more, there is no
easy answer.
I was recently talking to Paul
Mortimer, the poet and author
of the science fiction best seller
Ravenheart. He said that on re-
flection, when he added up how
long it took him to write his novel, it
was easily a year and he was in the lucky
position of being able to write most
days. Paul went on to say that Raven-
heart consumed his creative energies for
all of that time. His poetry had to go on
the back burner.
It takes time to write a novel. What
about those of us who have to work full
time and cannot write as and when we
would like to? Well, you have to arrive at
some point of compromise. We over-
estimate what we can achieve in a year
and underestimate what we can achieve
in ten. You have to decide what you
can realistically do in a day and not set
yourself unreachable goals.
You’re in for the long haul, as a novelist,
so pace yourself. Set a realistic goal of
what you can do in each day, or every
week. My colleague, Chella, writes five
hundred words every day. It is a target
that she feels she can reach. You could
begin by asking yourself what is doable
in a week? The danger is setting yourself
a ridiculously optimistic target that you
cannot reach and that leads you to aban-
doning the enterprise.
You could join a writing group. Ours
meets the second and fourth Wednes-
days of every month at the Castle Hotel,
here in Taunton. We start at 7.30pm.
The Yeovil Writers Group meet regular-
ly at the Octagon Theatre. Wells has a
writing group and you can contact them
through Facebook. There are many dif-
ferent groups out there and many more
on line.
What are the advantages to joining a
writing group? Well, it gives you a struc-
ture, and a deadline, you have to write
something for each meeting. You learn
how to offer and receive constructive
feedback. I find that discussing other
people’s work casts light on my own
process and I have learnt much from
the discussions I have had with other
authors. Writing is a solitary experience
and joining a group, whether local or
online, is a means of becoming part
of a supportive community. It gives
you a platform to discuss those issues
that arise as you plan and execute your
novel.
There has been a growth in
the number of courses that
are designed to support you
to write your novel. The
Arvon Foundation have a
full programme of different
sessions tailored to help
the budding novelist. If you
look online you can see
that there are many other
providers out there now,
including The Guardian.
I need now to talk about
plotting. How detailed is
your story outline? If you
have a clear idea of how the
story progresses then you
are ahead of the game. It makes it easier.
If you do not have a plan then it is much
more difficult to construct the story in
stops and starts, in stolen half hours here
and there, and your task is all the harder.
Perhaps the first thing you can do is to
write a brief description of the events
that still have to take place in your novel.
Perhaps you can chart the movements
of the main characters? Some authors
have literary charts around the walls of
their studies, mapping the journeys (both
physical and emotional) of their charac-
ters. Others break the story down in to
chapters and the chapters into events.
Having a map makes it easier to get
where you want to go. Also, try keeping
a writing journal, allowing you to reflect
on what works and what doesn’t for your
writing process. This may help you main-
tain a fluid approach to writing, reducing
the risk of you becoming discouraged
and giving up. Be easy on yourself and
keep going.
Writers Anon: Keeping on keeping on
The latest in the series of writing tips on ‘how to write’.

43
Short Story
Good morning, you blue.
Doesn’t the mind get slum-like, when
your head’s been onward rolling with
too little-too much sleep, too much
thought, too many burn-out experiences
(ignited by the bottle)?
Oh my. Indeed. NO pillow seems soft
enough to sink my razed-up brain. And
with this, sunlight, well and truly pass-
ing through.
And I’m truly awake now, too. I’m
scrabbling my hands out to finger my
phone, and eeeesh, this flat is frozen.
My toe-tips, blue, are sure testament to
this, so swift they retreat, and my throb-
bing ears catch the sound of the boiler
out the back. Yeah, there it is, reverbing
in some desperate strain, thudding
broke. Oh hell, WHY and no, no, not to
be dealt with, not today.
I forget the things I’ve done these past
few days. I may remember there was a
spinning, and some people I kissed (or
wanted to), foul words I threw around.
It was a gone state I was in, though it felt
fun at the time. At least I think it did.
But now my day-time’s jarring on me,
and my spirit is sallow, and I wish the
real felt more like the unreal. Or do we
get to choose which way round we want
it t’be, anyhow?
That’s what some like to claim. But,
y’see, I know all those things I push
right down, in-to my gut, inside and
out, at least by now. And isn’t it, a day’s
work of struggle, every single day, to
make this life seem a little sweeter then
it often seems to be?
We all strive to hold *oursel’es* togeth-
er like fused, tainted honeycomb, and
hope the sun shines bright down upon
us. Or at least, I do, but then when it
comes down to it, the people, ‘They’,
isn’t it, they put it down to perception,
to ‘glasses’.
That view is a bit too simplified for my
tastes. All I know is that I try, when
I feel it. I do, I try, though my fingers
nowadays are bit right through, but then
I * been gnawing them down since I
could chew. It’s the ruminant’s want.
What’s that here? That door is thudding,
which means someone’s behind it. The
blink of my watch and the click of my
window outwards says it’s two-thirty-
four, no morning after all, but bright
blue afternoon, so I better get my long
socks on up over my chilly knees, and
see who that shape is.
My place is cleaner than I thought,
though there’re bundles of fluff build-
ing in the corners, but we can’t look at
those, not today, you can absorb too
much damn time trying to keep a place
perfectly clean. Some expanded jumper
up over my shoulders, drops below my
waist, below the bow of my spine – bills,
bills, no, all done, nothing ordered?
No one expected, not ‘til later anyhow,
and the whole charade will start again,
with the yellow light and yellow water
– I flutter the sleep out of my eyes and
rattle the key, the door swings open and
I put my best, settled expression over –
“Good afternoon. Are you the resident
at number 35? Apologies for what must
seem a very banal question, but the
numbering system always goes a bit
haywire when it comes to flats, it’s the
city’s history-hewn, haphazard way…”
“Yeees. Can I help you with something?”
I ask, unfailingly polite, for this person
is building themselves up to plunging
into wherever they’re headed.
“I’m not entirely sure where to start.
How long have you lived here, at num-
ber 35?”
I’m bristling (a little), but he doesn’t seem
to be on the offensive, so I’m only hug-
ging my torso loosely, and I’ll let him run
with it. I don’t think I’m the type who gets
easily shocked. “Seven, eight months?
Why, this is all very mysterious, WHERE
are you from?”
This last jolt of verbal theatrics gets him
shifting from one foot onto the other. I
can tell he’s of the officious kind, but he’s
not unkind. He knows how to move.
“I’m from the authorities. Conservation. I
don’t know whether it was made crystal-
ly-clear to you in your tenancy agreement
that I, er – do you like animals? –”
Make no mistake, my brain’s clamber-
ing over itself now, and yeeees, I do like
animals, I say, but it’s only then, through
my mind’s fog, I can see he’s holding a
slim-long bag, breathable, made of that
kind of black-out material to stop out the
light, and I could really do with getting
some of that stuff for my windows for
when the sun breaks in, but I also see he’s
lightly smoothing over several pairs of
shining black claws, hinged over the lip of
the bag.
“OK. OK. How about… bats?” He’s got
my widening eyes’ full attention now, and
I do like bats. I covet the fierce wave of
their wings, sure, but “What’s that got to
do with anything?”
Gently stepping inwards, past the rusted
key of my door, the man from conserva-
tion tells me of the clever ruse he and his
father, conservationist before him, well
over 34 years ago, plotted, to protect a
curious, rare cocoon of unconventional,
Borough bats, who were on the cusp of
being shaken out of their urban wood. He
and he, with their powers of persuasion,
tempted them to take at a nearby housing
complex.
Back then, a brittle winter was settling in,
so it was urgent, with a new housing de-
velopment felling the trees and cutting
Good morning, You Blue.
by L.M. Westwood

44
the turf in the new year. From the fifteen
pairs that were settled at his father’s (flat
number 1), came new generations.
Then each year, to spread their seedlings,
he and his Pa (no longer in the picture)
would do a transfer of young, from one
house to the next, in numerical order.
And he was proud to report that their
domesticating of this sharp-toothed
flock had done the trick.
How many now? I probe, unfurling
sluggish arms.
“Hundreds”, he responded, with his
shining smile, “And I assure you, without
a shadow, not one resident in all our 35
years has objected, or rejected, these
sterling creatures.
“They just seem to take and survive,
happy to lift up the glitter and the gumpf
from your floorboards, slash your spi-
ders, steal some milk from time to time,
and you might just find them face down
in your treacle, but they’re perfectly
clean”, much like he, in his spick-span
bottle green trench coat.
“Just treat their ears kindly – don’t use
that subwoofer – and don’t shine a bright
light dead in their eyes, or they’ll peck
yours out,” he swiped, fondly.
This was a bombardment, an epic tale,
so well-dressed a narrative, that it held
my brain suspended in reverie, and I
was forgetting to feel my body within his
next chapter – my flat.
Meantime, the furry nymphs had wres-
tled from their bag, and hooked heav-
ily in my jumper, eyes sealed, awaiting
warmth, spying a catch.
But it was done, and the conservationist
was already walking on, I, helpless to
respond or intervene in his plans, feeling
myself no more the righteous owner of
flat number 35 than these small, prick-
le-hairy fiends.
And now, it being only three-o-five, what
else is there to do? I’ll lay a thick layer of
treacle on my kitchen side, gently peel off
that jumper, throw down my blinds, and
coil myself again in the hazy beauty of
thoughtless sleep.
The Book Club
An original new comedy, The
Book Club, is being premiered
at Hatch Beauchamp near
Taunton in April.
The play focuses on two con-
secutive meetings of the Beau-
champ Bookworms.
Initially we see the Bookworms
meeting to consider the merits of
‘Sink Hole’, a best-seller written
by Gillian and Julian Giles, a
divorced couple who refuse to
have anything to do with each
other.
The second meeting sees the
Bookworms preparing to receive
a talk from one of the authors on
the writing of Sink Hole.
Surely there couldn’t possibly
be a mix-up at the publishers,
whereby both authors turn up on
the appointed night.
The Book Club, by Rod Han-
cox, is being staged by mem-
bers of HATS (Hatch Amateur
Theatre Society) for one night
only at Hatch Beauchamp
Village Hall on Friday, April 24,
at 7.30pm.
Alternating with the scenes on
stage will be a prize quiz fea-
turing book-related questions,
and there will also be a raffle
and a bar.
Tickets are £7/£5 children,
available in advance from Gill
on 01823-480767 or from Do-
reen on 01823-480386.
Proceeds from the evening will
go to The Beacon Centre in
Taunton.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A scene from ‘Chapter One’ of HATS’ 2015 spring
production of ‘The Book Club’, to be staged at
Hatch Beauchamp Village Hall on Friday, April 24.
Pictured from left are Rod Harrington, Sue Young,
Imogen Graham, Mary Harrington and Karon
Harvey. Cast members not pictured are David Der-
byshire, Christine Williams and Sue McKen. Photo:
Simon Young

45
Five O’clock
Five O’clock, the clock says so,
The starling relates all joy….
On this most perfect
Of May days.
The zephyr sighs; the water falls,
Tumbling and babbling nearby.
Only the bumblebees apparently know…
That even, as the daylight hours subside,
There is yet so much to do.
The pond is cleared; the frogs return;
The neighbours dig their land.
Clouds roll in from the east
To cancel out the blue.
A dog barks; rooks take wing;
The low, silent swifts speak rain.
A transience belies the pressing calm…
And soon, as must, the time is ripe
When I must also… go.
Sonnet for my Love
How I love her beyond the bright rainbow,
This golden daughter of the Seasons’ care,
She understands the logic of water,
The fragrant kisses of the summer air,
The tumbling mirth of the brown autumn leaves,
The coolness of the wintry sun’s harsh eye.
She follows the ripples in the shallows,
The rugged flight of the white butterfly,
Drifting of the cloudlets at heaven’s height,
Feckless in the largeness of the blue sky.
She dances in the sweet silken meadows,
Poetry Corner
Hugh Loxdale, scientist and poet, recently moved to Somerset with his wife Nicola, co-founder with
Hugh in 2002 of Brambleby Books Ltd, which specialises in natural history, poetry and leisure. They
both love the area and Hugh now draws new inspiration, as he says, from living in Somerset with its
wonderful land- and seascapes, people, history and natural history. An entomologist by profession,
he started writing poetry as a teenager. He has published nine collections of poetry, on many themes
(mainly natural history) and in many styles, including Zoooo: Living Poetry for Children. His poems
have appeared in magazines and online, including the BBC, and most recently about clouds on the
Cloud Appreciation Society Website.
Adrift with a myriad coloured blooms,
Sighs at the sad passing of the geese flocks,
And then weeps when the distant thunder booms.
Youth
Clutch the future with those untarnished hands,
Embrace you bright souls of the young.
Enjoy the music your parents never sung,
Race along without a care ‒
For the hell of it, or for the dare.
Dance the night away until you drop,
Until your ringing ears almost pop.
Wear strange fashions that ever shock,
Pierce your flesh with rings…
And lock away all that is old and tired.
With new zest and when inspired,
Endorse weird ideas, skip and jump,
Bang the drum and shout and thump.
Climb mountains when the snow is down..,
When wise heads gasp and frown.
Overtake and ‘never say die’;
Challenge old dogmas, disprove the lie.
Stare into Beauty’s glass, that reflecting pool;
Play the hero, act the fool.
Only when with trembling hand,
You actually survive and sometimes win,
Do not accept that awful sin ‒
Middle age and worse to come.
Hugh Loxdale’s poetry books are stocked
by Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton
TA1 4ER (Tel: 01823 337742), and are
also available online at: bramblebybooks.
co.uk

46
My Favourite...
A Taunton resident since 1972, Martin Dormer was a
teacher of English for 30 years before leaving the pro-
fession to become a freelance writer. Here he briefly
outlines his favourite pieces of literature, art, music and
performance.
One of my three A Levels at Queen’s Col-
lege was English, and in those days we
studied some pretty challenging works.
One was King Lear. Like any 17 year old,
I initially struggled to grasp this rich and
complex piece, but the more I studied it
the more I came to understand and ap-
preciate it. In my opinion, this is Shake-
speare’s most profound work, one in
which he explores essential aspects of the
human condition, such as youth and age,
family and friends, love and betrayal, in
the greatest of language; indeed, I think
the play might be considered the great-
est piece of writing ever committed to
paper. As such, King Lear repays endless
re-reading but, for such a difficult piece,
it also works extremely well on stage; the
play has a primitive power and intensity
that makes for gripping, if uncomfort-
able, viewing.
My taste in art tends to be convention-
al. My favourite painting, however, is
perhaps less conventional. It is Dali’s
Métamorphose de Narcisse. Visually,
there is so much going on in this, and
I love the interplay of rich colours and
dramatic shapes; the water, with its
crystal clear reflections, looks so inviting,
almost real, which is rather ironic really.
Intellectually, there is also a lot going on,
and interpreting Dali’s vision is great fun.
The central image of the two contrasting
“hands” holding the “egg” is a good start-
ing point for delving into Dali’s mind, but
all the diverse images invite closer study;
they are eclectic, weird and endlessly
fascinating.
I am going out on a limb in my choice
of favourite music, which is a pop/rock
band called Latin Quarter. Commer-
cially, they were “one hit wonders” (with
Radio Africa, 1984), and that record
defines their style, a blend of tuneful and
innovative musical arrangements with
intelligent and thought-provoking lyrics.
They are still around (do old rockers ever
die?), and have about ten albums to their
name. 30 years on, their songs continue
to appeal on first listening, but also stay
with you because they actually have
something to say. Taste in music is very
personal, but sample a few tracks and see
what you think. They deserve to be a lot
better known than they are.
Finally, performance. I’ve attended
countless plays, both traditional and
modern ballet, taken in operas and pan-
tomines, but for me there is only ONE
performance: Aida. I have seen this twice:
once, a live production by the WNO, and,
a second time, a recorded performance
staged at the pyramids in Cairo, and both
times it just staggered me. It is the most
perfect blend of exotic tale, blood-stir-
ring music and dramatic spectacle. When
done on a grand scale it is a Cecil B De-
mille epic that sweeps you away, combin-
ing play (literature), art and music all in
one. What more could one ask for?
“King Lear and the Fool in the Storm” by
William Dyce (1806–1864)
Cover of an Aida libretto, Milan 1890

47
Monday 3 – Friday 7 August,
9.30am – 3.30pm
Queen’s College, Taunton
Over the summer Queen’s College,
Taunton, in association with BMW West-
erly Bridgwater, will be leading a variety
of inspirational courses and activity for
children and young people aged from 4 to
16 years. Covering everything from cook-
ery to kayaking, dancing to rugby coach-
ing, the packed programme of activity is
impressive.
One such course being held this summer is
the Creative Writing Master Class. During
the week long course, children will develop
their creative writing skills whilst writing
and illustrating their own stories under the
guidance of award-winning lecturer and
author Briony Goffin. Their work will then
be published in their very own individual
books.
Briony Goffin teaches creative writing at
Cardiff University. She also runs work-
shops in schools, hospitals, care homes,
art galleries, museums andcommunity
centres as well as family workshops for
Sky Arts at The Hay Festival. Briony
has created several anthologies and
published widely on the art of teaching
creative writing and supporting the
student writer to fulfil their creative
potential. In 2012, she was awarded
‘Inspirational Tutor of the Year’ by
NIACE. In March 2014 she spoke live
at TEDx Cardiff to a global audience
on the subject of Writing as Tribute.
Briony was delighted to be invited to
Queen’s to run the course, “ We are
really looking forward to working with
some wonderful young writers, build-
ing confidence, nurturing talent and
setting imaginations alight.”
Briony will be assisted by Gethin
Wallace, an experienced primary school
teacher, with a particular interest in
writing. In 2014 he created a literacy
and numeracy resource, which has
been shortlisted for a national educa-
tion award. He is a passionate advocate
for the creative development of young
people and for using imaginative and fun
learning techniques. For three years run-
ning, he has been a judge for 500 Words,
the Radio 2 creative writing competition
for children for 13 years and younger.
The course, which runs daily from Mon-
day 3 – Friday 7 August, is open to any
child aged from 7 to 12 years. For further
details, or to book a place, 01823 340880
or email jdc@queenscollege.org.uk
Summer @ Queen’s:Creative Writing Master Class for Children
Briony Goffin, who will be teaching
the course
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Book talk, reading, slideshow and signing with
best selling authorJulia Copus
on Saturday 11 April between 12 and 1.00 pm
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
In their second adventure, Harry and Lil must work out what on earth is making the
Hullabaloo outside Harry’s window in the middle of the night. When deep sleeping Harry
is woken by a strange noise, he calls on his best friend Candy Stripe Lil for help. But every
time they think they’ve cracked it, outside is a new nocturnal animal making a different
sound. If it’s not just Frog, or just Badger, or just Owl, what on earth could it be?

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