This document provides an overview of arts, literature, music and performance events happening in Somerset in August and September 2013, as detailed in the LAMP Magazine. It includes summaries of Shakespeare productions taking place at Castle Green in Taunton, the Ten Parishes Festival showcasing over 100 artists across 10 rural parishes, and the Quartz Festival taking place at Queen's College in Taunton from September 25th to October 5th featuring various musicians and performers. The magazine also advertises upcoming events such as art exhibitions at Binham Grange and Stogumber Festival, and provides additional details on organizations involved such as the Taunton Cultural Consortium and GB Theatre Company.

1. sssss
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Shakespeare on the Green Summer Art at Binham Grange
Ten Parishes Festival Abundance (SAW)
Nancy Farmer Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
The Quartz Festival Quartz Festival
Calendar of Events Art in the Park
Stogumber Festival Diana Pilcher
Anne Leamon Chrissy Banks
Taunton Through Time Poetry Corner
Short Story My Favourite
August/September 2013
Shining a light on literature, art, music and performance in Somerset

2. 05 Introduction: Two Steps Forward and One back
06 Open air Theatre at Castle Green
08 Ten parishes Festival
12 A Feast of Invention
19 Calendar of Events
24 Stogumber Festival
26 Summer Art at Binham Grange
27 Abundance
28 Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
36 Quartz Festival
31 Art in the Park
32 Large Paintings for Small Place
33 The Oldest Longest Running Flower Show
34 Taunton Through Time
35 Poetry Corner: Chrissy Banks
36 Short Story: Blood-Feud of Toad-Water
38 My Favourite: Charlie Warren
Contents
LAMP Magazine has
now been going for a full
year and we are delighted
with the response. We are
now going to publish every
2 months. The current issue
covers August and Septem-
ber. Thank you to all those
who have supported us with
articles, distribution and
advertising.
Lionel Ward
Stop Press
An introduction by Max Hebditch follows in which
he explains the latest position regarding the Brew-
house Theatre as he sees it from the viewpoint
of the Cultural Consortium. However, as we went
to press, Val Hammond representing the Taunton
Theatre Association and made the following state-
ment:
‘The Taunton Theatre Association, the combined
community group bidding to operate The Brew-
house, welcomes the Council’s decision to buy
out the lease so that live theatre is in the heart of
our town. We thank all those who supported the
campaign and volunteered their services. Please
join us now at www.tauntontheatreassociation.org.
uk. Busy and exciting times are ahead!’
Editor: Lionel Ward
Copy Editor: Jo Ward
All enquiries:
lampmagazine1@gmail.com
01823 337742
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.

3. G a l l e r y 4 A r t B i n h a m G r a n g e
SUMMER ART EXHIBITION
A BOX OF DELIGHTS
10:30am
- 5pm
Daily
10th
August - 1st
September
Coffee, Lunch and Afternoon Tea in the Grange Restaurant.
Painting, Sculpture, Cveramics, Photography, Prints, Poetry.
Binham Grange, Old Cleeve, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 6HX
For full details, please see gallery4art.co.uk

4. Two steps forward and one back
The closure of the Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre earlier this year was a bit
of a setback for Taunton’s growing reputation as a cultural centre. The Borough
Council is buying back the lease from the administrator. This provides a building
and site unencumbered by complexities of ownership while a viable future for a
theatre and art gallery in the centre of the town is sorted out. Later this summer
the Borough will have the report of the consultants, Quartet. They have a lot of
experience in this field so their advice will be valuable. If the Brewhouse is to reopen quickly, this
must not be in a way which stacks up problems for the future – we do not want another insol-
vency.
That is the one-step back. In many ways the picture for the arts and heritage in Taunton is much
more encouraging. The Cultural Consortium came into existence in 2004 to set out a vision of
what the cultural quarter in the centre of town might look like and then to act as critical friend
for its development. This was seen as an important component in the regeneration of the town
– Project Taunton. We recommended three immediate goals: a new Museum in Taunton Castle;
the development of the Brewhouse, and redesign of the riverside and Castle Green to link them.
In the longer term we said Taunton needed a concert hall and an art gallery. There were justifica-
tions for all this in economic terms, and also in drawing on the creativity of the artists and curators
who work here. The closure of the Brewhouse has demonstrated the latter very strongly, as do
the articles in this edition of LAMP. Other spaces for art and performance have come into use in
the schools and colleges, at CICCIC in Paul Street and The Tacchi-MorrisShakespeare. There will
be Shakespeare in Castle Green and there is the great Literary Festival organised by Brendon
Books which will take place at the beginning of November.
The two steps forward are the creation of the Museum of Somerset (100,000 visitors a year) and
the regeneration of Castle Green and the riverside. These were delivered just ahead of the reces-
sion, thank goodness. So there is a great base on which to build the new Taunton.
Max Hebditch
Chair
Taunton Cultural Consortium

5. Open Air Theatre at
Castle Green, Taunton
GB Theatre will be
holding two of its
celebrated
productions at
Castle Green this
summer marking
the beginning of the
use of ‘the green’ as
a serious
performance space.
‘Lord, what fools these mortals be?’
Puck Act 3, scene 2.
A
Midsummer Night’s Dream brings together several
different styles of humour in the interaction between
the main protagonists, the mechanicals hilarious play
within a play and the machinations of Titania and Oberin and
the other fairies. The use of magic to alter the perception of
some of the main characters for each other produces high
farce characterised by fine verbal jokes and visual humour.
It is also one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays. It is
thought to have been written between 1590 and 1596, making
it one of his earliest plays.
Following the end of the reign of Queen Mary, and the introduction of Puritanism, all stage plays in theatres
were outlawed. In 1644 the Globe Theatre was destroyed. Midsummer Night’s Dream, like other Shakespeare
plays, was not performed, except as short playlets tagged on to other forms of entertainment. It was not until
the restoration of King Charles II in 1660 that the theatres were reopened. However, a Midsummer Night’s
Dream was only performed in an adapted form. It was not unitl the 1840’s that it began to be revived in its fuller
form.
Taunton Deane Borough Council, Pleased to welcome the Taunton Shakespeare Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Barrie Palmer set up the GB Theatre
Company in 2010 with business partner
Gill Roca (hence the name GB), with
the intention of bringing open air theatre
productions to audiences around the UK
and Europe.
Barrie’s experience of acting Shakespeare
came rather late in life, though his love
of acting was present from an early age.
Born in Bath, he remembers his first line
in a play at Fosseway Primary School
being: ‘Her Royal Highness the Princess
of Spain.’At secondary school he played
Bill Sykes. However, his career was
with the police force which he joined in
1971. Initially stationed at Bridgwater,
he moved to Taunton in 1972. In 1979 he
saw an advert in the newspapers for ac-
tors to audition for the Taunton Amateur
Operatic Society who were performing
Yeoman of the Guard. He also joined
Taunton Thespians and the Wayfarers
Pantomime Society and, over the years,
played a number of leading roles in each.
He gained his equity card while still in
the police by doing stand-up comedy and
walk-ons and small parts on TV. There
was an example of early typecasting
when Barrie played a policeman in the
popular Wycliffe detective series which
starred Jack Shepherd. It was in 2003
that he gained a place at the Bristol Old
Vic Theatre School. Within 6 months of
leaving he had a 15 month contract with
the RSC, performing in Stratford-upon-
Avon, Newcastle and the West End.
Little did he know that when he played
policeman to Wycliffe all those years
ago that he would employ Jack Shep-
herd as the director of The Tempest for
his own company. It has been a happy
arrangement and Jack Shepherd, now a
good friend, has also written a play on
Edvard Munch which will be performed
at a future date by the GB company.
Talks began last year with councillor
Mark Edwards about bringing quality
open air theatre to the new open space
at Castle Green. It is hoped that this will
become an annual event. At the time
of going to press, Midsummer Night’s
‘If you prick us, do we not bleed’
Shylock Act 3, scene 1
D
escribed as a comedy in the First Folio, The
Merchant of Venice, however, provoked much
serious debate since it was written (it is be-
lieved, between 1596 and 1598). There are several in-
terwoven plots but at the heart is the deal between An-
tonio, (the merchant of Venice of the title), who makes
his money from trading fine goods carried in his sail-
ing ships, and Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. The deal
goes wrong when a number of Antonio’s ships perish at
sea and threaten him with ruin. Shylock is determined
to earn the pound of Antonio’s flesh that was promised
him instead of interest when the loan was made.
The Anti-semitism Debate
There has been a long-running debate over whether The
Merchant of Venice was intended to be an anti-semitic play.
There was an unsympathetic attitude to Jews in Shake-
speare’s day. It was not until the rule of Oliver Cromwell that
English Jews were permitted to return to England following
their expulsion by Edward I in 1290. In more recent times
it has been used by the Nazis as part of their propaganda
against Jews. The play was broadcast on radio and regularly
performed on the stage in wartime Germany. Early perform-
ances of the play in Britain often portrayed Shylock as a
comical or monstrous character. However, Edmund Kean’s
sympathetic portrayal at Drury Lane in 1814 was a great
triumph and effectively launched his career. Most of the
actors that followed him in the role chose his sympathetic
approach, though it remains controversial and open to inter-
pretation to this day. This may have been Shakepeare’s inten-
tion. There is no doubt, however, that he gave the character
of Shylock some of the most eloquent lines of all his works.
Dream and The Merchant of Venice
have already been playing to packed
audiences in other parts of the coun-
try.
Barrie has also played another im-
portant role in founding the S.U.R.E
Charity in 2000, set up in order to
end the need for cancer patients to
Travel to Bristol for treatment.
Performance Times
Thursday 8th August 7.30pm: Midsummer Night’s Dream
Friday 9th August 7.30pm: The Merchant of Venice
Saturday 10th August 2.00pm: Midsummer Night’s Dream
Saturday 10th August 7.00pm: The Merchant of Venice
Tickets from:
Tourist Information Centre, Paul Street, Taunton TA1 3XZ
Telephone: 01823 336 344
Barrie Palmer
Merchant of Venice being performed at Brandon Hill, Bristol

7. This year’s sixth biennial 10 Par-
ishes Festival is from September 7
– 15 and will see over 100 artists,
craftspeople and performers joining
in a host of exhibitions and events
at venues from pubs to schools to
homes, along with a hugely popular
day long Street Market and Wheel-
barrow Carnival.
People come together to celebrate the
wonderful creativity that grows and
flowers in villages and tucked away
rural places all around the small town
of Wiveliscombe, often inspired by
a deep love of the landscape and
the communities and animals that
are part of it. Ashbrittle, Bathealton,
Brompton Ralph, Chipstable with
Waterrow, Clat-
worthy, Fitzhead,
Huish Champ-
flower, Milverton,
Stawley – little
villages that are
home to creative
people working
with glass, paint,
ceramics, jewel-
lery, photography,
music and much
more.
From the work
of 68-year-old
artist John Abraham, returning
to painting after fifty years, to chil-
dren at Wiveliscombe Primary School
making art work inspired by British
sculptor Andy Goldsworthy; from
David Manners, Associate of the Royal
Photographic Society, to international
performer Yvette Staelens celebrating
Somerset folk song, the creative offer is
an uplifting mix of the amateur and the
professional. Everyone is just part of
the Festival community.
Music plays its part too with perform-
ances this year including a range from
the popular Reed Rage Sax Octet to
BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award win-
ner James Findlay. Poetry and drama
events, a French circus act, the variety
is exciting, rich, and often unique – such
as an exhibition of family memorabilia
belonging to Susan Lady Lethbridge,
including clothes worn by the beloved
little granddaughter of Quaker reformer
Elizabeth Fry and the baby bonnet of
Admiral Noel, a former Admiral of the
Fleet.
The 10 Parishes Festival is led by
founder and Director Pauline Home-
shaw, recently awarded an MBE for her
services to the community, including
work she does for SSAFA the British
Armed Forces charity.
“We started the Festival with a real
feeling that people wanted to look
forward, to make something happen,
and from the very start it has been an
inclusive arts, crafts and community
event that helps support artists who
frequently work alone and often in rural
The Ten Parishes Festival 2013
It started as a community drive to
make something positive happen af-
ter the devastation of Foot-and-Mouth
disease in the area. Now the 10 Parish-
es Festival - one of the most popular
events in West Somerset – will soon
celebrate again as the creative ener-
gy for which the area is renowned, is
channelled into eight days of inten-
sive artistic activity.
Wiveliscombe Festival Street Market
A Party
Waiting for People by Nick Bickford
Penguin Books Supporting Literary Artistic Endeavour in Somerset
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. quartz festival 2013
Wednesday 25 September to Saturday 5 October at Queen’s College, Taunton
Rick Wakeman Maddy Prior John Archer
Lost Dog Zen Hussies The Lord Chamberlain’s Men Alexandra Dariescu
Film Nights Art Exhibition Workshops
Book your tickets now!
www.quartzfestival.org.uk 01823 275715
The 10 Parishes Festival combines artistic and cultural
excellence with community involvement at every level!
Right across the 10 Parishes, centred on Wiveliscombe in
beautiful West Somerset, almost 100 artists, craftspeople
and performers will be exhibiting this September. There
will be open studios where you can see artists at work,
gallery exhibitions and workshops.
PlanPlan to visit the 10 Parishes this September and enjoy
everything that is on offer!
10parishesfestival.org.uk
info@10parishesfestival.org.uk
01984 624564
7th
- 15th
September 2013
The 10 Parishes Festival is operated by Wiveliscombe Area Partnership.
Registered in England and Wales No. 4351175, Charity No. 1132983
a celebration of visual and performing arts
10parishesfestival

9. 10
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Contracted with the Legal Aid Agency

10. 11
isolation,” she explains.
The Festival not only offers a vital
chance to be seen but is an important
economic benefit – at the 2011 Festi-
val sales amounted to almost £30,000
while local charities benefited by
£3,500 from refreshment sales and
other opportunities, and local trad-
ers enjoyed increased footfall and the
promotion of Wiveliscombe on Market
and Carnival Day.
The non-motorised Carnival is hugely
popular and visitors also throng to the
day long Festival Street Market where
over 70 carefully selected stall holders
sell everything from local cheeses to
sourdough bread; locally sourced beef
and venison burgers to organic vegeta-
bles and local ales.
For some people the Festival means
the difference between an income or
none, the chance to continue being
creative, or not.
“As a self-employed artist living in
a remote village, the 10 Parishes Fes-
tival has brought to my studio people
from all over the South West. The
opportunity to exhibit my work from
home has, as a lone parent, proved in-
valuable economically, allowing me to
build a network of clients in the area,”
says painter Tilly Willis.
Textile artist Trish Perrin is equally
positive. “The Festival certainly con-
tributes to my sales, not just during
the event but afterwards with repeat
customers. Showcasing my work also
led to it now being sold through a
craft co-op shop in Bampton. Without
the Festival I would probably now be
working in an office, with my artwork
being a mere hobby.”
Grants from Taunton Deane Borough
Council, Wiveliscombe Town Council
and The Jim Laker Fund help towards
the total Festival cost of over £12,000,
which includes a beautifully printed
free Festival Guide, distributed all
around Somerset and east Devon.
Since 2012, the Festival has been taken
under the wing of The Wiveliscombe Area
Partnership (WAP), a registered charity. It
provides a number of services to the local
community, such as the Community Office
in Wiveliscombe, and Wivey Link, which
runs community transport in the area. Its
oversight of the Festival ensures legal
and financial functions are taken care of,
and allows the working group to continue
building on the artistic and community
events that make the Festival so special.
The creative people of the 10 Parishes
are getting ready to celebrate, and invit-
ing visitors from around the county and
beyond to come and join them.
Visit www.10parishesfestival.org.uk for
full details.
Taunton by Claire Rice.
Tilly Willis - Fire
Pauline Homeshaw
And Did Those Feet by Jim Munnion .
‘Supporting Creativity, Enterprise and Culture in Somerset through Workshops,
Exhibitions, Talks Performances’ www.creativeinnovationcentre.co.uk Paul St,Taunton
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11. 12
‘I was always more of a fan of the
very sharp pencil than the fuzzy stick
of charcoal’ explains Nancy, who de-
spite having had no formal training
in painting, has become renowned
for her stunning paintings that
depict a confection of extraor-
dinary creatures, drawn from
myth and reality.
Originally from Guildford,
but now living in Moorlinch,
Bridgwater, Nancy is part of
the Spring Farm Arts group, a
collective of artists who work
together to hold regular open
studio events, as well as taking
part in Somerset Art Weeks.
Herloveofprecisionandwell-crafted
work has been with her since school,
after which she went onto study Jew-
ellery at the Glasgow School of Art
and Conservation of Metalwork at the
Royal College of Art and VA Mu-
seum. These experiences have fuelled
her attraction to highly-finished art-
works, and to pictorial images which
tell a story.
‘My paintings are essentially col-
oured-in drawings’explains Nancy, ‘I
remember being quite good at draw-
ing at school but I lacked a subject
that inspired me other than the illus-
tration of other people’s stories, so I
A Feast of Invention:
Nancy Farmer
Artist Nancy Farmer returns
to Ilminster Arts Centre to
serve up an exciting solo
exhibition of paintings, draw-
ings and etchings that are both
humorous and decadent.
A Murder of Crows
veered off into metalwork.’
Meeting her partner - who shares a
similar sense of humour - proved to
be the turning point that led her back
to drawing. With his encouragement
Nancy began creating amusing Christ-
mas cards which they would send out
to friends each year. This annual draw-
ing/painting exercise soon became a
tradition that started Nancy’s satirical
take on devils and angels that now ap-
pear frequently in her work.
‘In one job after another I worked
with a couple of remarkably religious
people, who used to expound ideas at
me, so painting the devils was fun but
Ricinus Communis - detail

12. 13
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Situated opposite Vivary Park Gates
Contact: Rachel Hartland
Tel: o7730133397
E mail: hartlandart@googlemail.com
Exhibiting and selling original art, plus
Vintage and retro collectables, Park Art
offers an exceptional High Street position
for Artists wanting to showcase work.
Opening Hours
Tuesday 10am-1pm….....1pm-4pm
Wednesday 10am-1pm……..1pm-4pm
‘Actively Promoting Artists’
Situated opposite Vivary Park Gates
Contact: Rachel Hartland Tel. 077 301 33397 E mail: hartland@googlemail.com
Exhibiting and selling original art, plus vintage and retro collectables,
Park Art offers an exceptional High Street position for Artists wanting to showcase work.
Opening Hours
Tuesday 10am-1pm.........1pm-4pm
Wednesday 10am-1pm......1pm-4pm
Friday 10am-1pm
Saturday 10am-1pm
Open full time over Park based events
SUPERB Classical Music!
Strauss Oboe Concerto
Mozart Symphony no. 40
Taunton Temple Church
7.30pm Sept 28th
Bridport Arts Centre
3.00pm Sept 29th
For full details of this and all our
concerts 2 and much more:
www.tauntonsinfonietta.org.uk
well worth a visit!
£15 (£5 u 16) Door and TIC 01823 336344

13. 14
See Nancy Farmer’s exhibition
‘A Feast of Invention’
Tuesday 6 - Saturday 31 August
Ilminster Arts Centre
East Street, IlminsterTA19 0AN.
Open Mon - Fri 9.30am - 4.30pm,
Saturday 9.30am - 2.30pm.
Admission is free.
Information: 01460 55783
www.themeetinghouse.org.uk.
February dreaming
they both took it in a cheerful way, I
think.’
In Nancy’s world, devils lounge about,
persecuting the damned because it is
their job to do so, but without much
enthusiasm, and, since they are devils,
have an impressive wardrobe of fetish
clothing. The angels are no better, re-
clining on clouds, supping pink cham-
pagne and eating chocolates. Wearing
rose-tinted spectacles they can see no
wrong and no reason to move from
their comfortable spot.
Visitors to her ‘Feast of Invention’
exhibition at Ilminster Arts Centre
can expect to meet a wealth of such
characters from the elegant but suspi-
ciously masked partygoers of ‘A Mur-
der of Crows’ to ‘Ricinus Communis’
, a curious Poison Flower Fairy that
inhabits dangerous and medicinal
plants. Medusa will also be making
an appearance. She may be a femme
fatale but she’s also an ordinary girl
given to bad hair days!
‘I like to add a certain humanity and
ordinariness to fantasy and vice versa
but do not like to take my subjects too
seriously,’ says Nancy. ‘The bit about
the devils and the Christians was a
starting point, and I have been poking
fun at things ever since.’
Fromearlyexperimentswithacrylicinks
to more recent explorations in gold leaf,
a variety of materials play a key part in
the development of Nancy’s work. This
combined with an abundance of ideas
that evolve and feed into one another be-
fore taking the form of drawings, paint-
ings and etchings. ‘Concepts get rolled
around inside my head and come out as
something slightly different.’ explains
Nancy, ‘I’m inspired by everything -
stories, mythology, science,nature, wine
and the human form.’
Over the last few years, an interest in
gardening and plants has also crept into
her work, and has been used to great
effect in a series depicting alternative
Flower Fairies. With titles such as ‘The
Flower Fairies go to Seed’ and ‘Poison
Flower Fairies’ it’s not surprising that
they have been selling fast. ‘I’m keen to
add to the few paintings I have in hand
and if I am quick, I shall have a few
more ready for Ilminster too.’
Nancy is currently working on her cal-
endar for 2014 that features a series of
12 etchings of Medusa. These calendars
will be available during her exhibition
at Ilminster Arts Centre.
‘The thing I enjoy most about being an
artist is not doing what people tell me to’
says Nancy, before adding with a smile,
‘Although they still tell me!’
October Masquerade

14. 15
All Aboard the Rock Island Line
The Legendary Lonnie Donegan Band, now fronted by son Peter Donegan,
play a wonderful evening of music and song in a celebration of Lonnie’s
works which had such a huge impact on the early days of popular mu-
sic. The music and songs encompass Country,Rock, Folk,Gospel,Soul and
Electric Skiffle, which, when fused together, produce a high octane con-
cert of foot tapping, hand clapping and sing-along music. Peter’s musical
talents coupled with infectious enthusiasm and unbounded energy keeps
alive the spirit of his dad’s songs, helping to create a real feel good factor
among the audience. It should be a superb evening.
Venue: Cossington Village Hall, Trivetts Way, Cossington,
Bridgwater TA7 8LN
Saturday 19 October 8.00pm (doors open 7.00pm)
Reserved seats £15 from host Roger Collett 01278 451187
or online at www.wegotickets.co./209652
Advertise in LAMP
By advertising in LAMP
you are not only promot-
ing your own business
but helping support and
make better known the
artistic endeavours of
those in the Somerset
community. Sponsorship
lines are also available
for those who want to ex-
press their support for the
artistic community but
do not want to commit to
an advert.
Contact details:
Lionel Ward
lampmagazine1@gmail.com
Tel. 01823 337742/01823 972662
Or write to LAMP, 1 Kingsway,
Taunton TA1 3YD.
www.lampmagzine.co.uk

15. 16
In keeping with the traditions of one
of the South West’s premier visual
and performing arts festival, there is
much to enjoy and savour during the
festival’s 10-day programme. Running
throughout the duration of the festival
will be a vibrant and challenging art
exhibition, showcasing work from
local artists and sculptors. Sponsored
by BMW (Westerly Bridgwater), this
year’s exhibition will feature a number
of artists in residence together with
workshops and evening presentations.
Locally sourced refreshments will be
provided by Red Field Kitchen.
Amongst the wide range of evening
performances, the festival will host
travelling Shakespeare company The
Lord Chamberlain’s Men, who will be
performing ‘As You Like It’, cutting-
edge dance theatre group Lost Dog
and Bristol-based six-piece band The
Zen Hussies, who specialise in playing
pre-war swing, blues, ska and old
fashioned rock and roll. Concert pi-
anist Alexandra Dariescu, recently
presented with BBC Music Maga-
zine’s ‘Rising Star’ award, returns
to Quartz as does comic magician
John Archer. On Saturday 28 Sep-
tember, Maddy Prior – lead singer
with Steeleye Span – promises to
deliver a spell-binding evening’s
entertainment, satisfying the huge
local demand for folk music.
‘Rick Wakeman to headline Quartz Festival’
The former Yes keyboard player, Rick Wakeman, will
headline the ninth annual Quartz Festival at Queen’s
College, Taunton (Wednesday 23rd September –
Saturday 5 October 2013). Rick Wakeman, iconic
rock musician and, more recently, one of BBC’s
‘Grumpy Old Men’ and a panellist on hit Radio 4
shows such as ‘The News Quiz’ and ‘Just a Minute’ ,
will host ‘An Intimate Evening with Rick Wakeman’ in
the Queen’s Hall on Saturday 5 October.
Quartz Festival 2013
Lord Chamberlain’s Men Tom Clark

16. 17
For the first time, the Quartz Festi-
val will be incorporating three Na-
tional Academy Film Nights, featur-
ing films from the 1990s that either
won or were nominated for National
Academy Awards (Oscars). Each
will be introduced by prominent
local people and will feature themed
refreshments to make it a night
to remember. This year’s films
will be Life is Beautiful (Alex
Cameron, Editor of the Somerset
County Gazette), The Remains of
the Day (Lionel Ward, proprietor
Brendon Books) and The English
Patient (Chris Alcock, Headmas-
ter, Queen’s College).
Programme of Events
Wed 25 Sep Film Night 1 - The English Patient 7.30 £5
Thu 26 Sep The Zen Hussies (six-piece band) 7.30 £8
Fri 27 Sep Film Night 2 - Life is Beautiful 7.30 £5
Sat 28 Sep Maddy Prior 7.30 £15
Mon 30 Sep Lord Chamberlain’s Men-As You Like It 7.30 £10/£8(student)
Tue 01 Oct Quartz Film Night 3 - The Remains of the Day 7.30 £5
Wed 02 Oct Lost Dog 7.30 £12/8(student)
Thu 03 Oct 2013 Alexandra Dariescu 7.30 £10/£8(student)
Friday 04 Oct 2013 John Archer 7.30 £10/£8(student)
Sat 05 Oct An Intimate Evening with Rick Wakeman 7.30 £20
Tickets are available now via www.quartzfestival.org.uk or by contacting the Quartz
ticket office on 01823 275715.
Further information on all the artists, workshops and performances can be found on
the Quartz Festival website - www.quartzfestival.org.uk.
Above: Leo Davey, Chiang Mai. Right, above Chris Taylor
Right: Lost Dogs It Needs Horses

17. 18
Abstract Encaustic Art Taster Workshop
with Jacki Stokes
This will be great fun and a brilliant
way to release your inner creativity.
You don’t have to be able to draw or
paint – anyone can do it, but those
who are artistically minded will also
benefit by experimenting with a
whole new exciting medium. You’ll
be exploring colour, shape, com-
position and texture and of course,
something very close to my heart:
happy accidents. Even if you are
already familiar with encaustics but
have never used them for abstract
painting, you’ll find this workshop
very inspiring (but please note that it is not aimed at those wish-
ing to improve their existing representational encaustic work).
Further details email: jacki.stokes@uclmail.net
or call: 07719 324830
To see more of my encaustic paintings, come and visit me dur-
ing Somerset Art Weeks at Venue 39
(Bishops Hull House, Taunton)
18
A TALE FOR
OUR TIMES –
ON EXMOOR
A compelling story
of family and
ecological conflict
on Exmoor, set
against the cur-
rent financial cri-
sis and interwoven
with sexual rivalry
and obsession.
And at another
level, a reflection
on our planet as a tiny, living, teeming sward
- finite and vulnerable - and floating alone in
the dead sea of the universe.
PAN’S PRINCIPLE by SIMON PATRICK
A ‘MUST-READ’ NOW ON KINDLE – ONLY £0.99P
ginger fig gifts and gallery
1b Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823
ginger fig gallery promotes artists and designers exclusively from
the South West, exhibiting new talent alongside established artists

18. 19
1 Art Talk ‘A Very Eclectic Baker’s Dozen’: John Foden on his art collection The Barn, Obridge, Taunton 7.30
2-3 Play As You Like It: Outdoor Shakespeare: The Lord Chamberlain’s Men Tyntesfield 6.00
3 Music Night of the Prom - in aid of Taunton St Pastors Age UK North St, Taunton 8.00
3 Book Talk Anne Leamon on her new Taunton Flower Show book Vivary Park, Floral Marquee 3.00
4 Drama Folksy Theatre’s ‘Romeo Juliet’: Outdoor Theatre Hestercombe Gardens 7.00
Talk Meet the Palace Jester Bishop’s Palace, Wells 10-6
Drama As You Like It Outdoor Theatre - Lord Chamberlian’s Men Bishop’s Palace, Wells 7.30
Drama A Celebration of the Waters - Play to Commemorate Alice Buckton St John’s Church, Glastonbury 3.00
Children’s Chris Pui Roadshow Playhouse W.S.M.
4-8 Music Peter Palmer and Pals in concert Wellington Park, Wellington 2.30-4.00
5 Drama As You Like It Outdoor Theatre - Lord Chamberlian’s Men Fyne Court, nr Taunton 7.30
8 Drama Misummer Night’s Dream - GB Theate Company Castle Green (tickets,TIC) 7.30
Music Lunchtime Organ Recital - Gary Desmond Wells Cathedral 1.05
Comedy Joe Pasquale Playhouse W.S.M.
9 Drama The Merchant of Venice - GB Theare Company Castle Green (tickets,TIC) 7.30
Music Rags to Riches - Mike Denham Ilminster Arts Centre 7.00
10 Drama Misummer Night’s Dream - GB Theate Company Castle Green (tickets,TIC) 2.00
10 Drama The Merchant of Venice - GB Theare Company Castle Green (tickets,TIC) 7.00
Music Gypsy Watkins in Concert Wells Cathedral 7.00
11 Music Bryan Ferry. Plus spectacular fireworks display Glastonbury Abbey 6.00
Music Summers’Afternoon Classical Special All Saiints Churc, Merriott 2.30
12 Music Yorkie Wellington Park, Wellington 2.30
15-17 Musical Grease - Loganwest Productions Playhouse W.S.M. 7.20
16 Drama Romeo and Juliet - Festival Players Theatre CompanyVenue Glastonbury Abbey
17 Music The Busch Ensemble - Music on the Quantocks Broomfield Village Hall 8.00
18 Music The Busch Ensemble - Music on the Quantocks Broomfield Village Hall 3.30
18 Music All That Jazz - Sunday Band Concert Vivary Park, Taunton 3.00
19 Music Sapphire Wellington Park, Wellington 2.30
20 Music Full Moon Music with Hat in Hand The Chalice Well Trust Gar-
dens
7.00
22 Workshop Young Writers’s Day Taunton Library 10-4.00
23 Children’s Postman Pat Playhouse W.S.M. 1.00
23-24 Drama Blithe Spirit - Noel Coward. Red traingle Players Blakehay Theatre 7.30
25 Music Deane Big Band Wellington Park, Wellington 2.30
25 Music Ruishton Big Band - Sunday Concert Vivary Park, Taunton 3.00
27 Workshop Parent Child Sewing Workshop Imagine, Design Create, Taunton 12.00
29 Poetry Simon Armitage - Porlock Literary Festival Porlock Village Hall 8.00
29 Music Lada Valesova Piano Recital (Stogumber Festival) St Mary’s, Stogumber 7.30
29 Music Jazz in the Alley White Horse, Stogumber 9.30
29-31 Musical Fame - The Musical Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.00
29-31 Puppetry Avnue ‘O’ Blakehay Theatre 2.30/8.00
30 Music Grand Baroque: Blackdowns Early Music Project Cathedral Green, Exeter 7.30
August Events
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.

19. 20
Muisc Cara Dillon Sam Lakeman: Irish Folk St Mary’s, Stogumber 7.30
Muisc Folk in the Alley: Paul Haines/Sarah Joy White Horse, Stogumber 9.30
30-31 Music Gotta Sing Gotta Dance Playhouse W.S.M. 7.30
31 Music The Chamber Philarmonia Cologne in concert St Mary Magdalene, Taunton 7.30
Music Trio Paradis/Reed Rage St Mary Magdalene, Taunton 12/3.00
Music Anne Watson (Soprano) Lada Valesova (Piano) St Mary Magdalene, Taunton 7.30
September Events
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.
Date Event Details Venue Time
1 Music William Whitehead Organ Recital Poetry Reading St Mary’s, Stogumber 11.00
Music Choral Evensong: Stogumber Festival Choir/William Whitehead St Mary’s, Stogumber 3.30
5 Drama Pride Prejudice - Chapterhouse Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
6 Music Sing-a-long Grease - Taunton Amateur Operatic Society Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Mad Dog Mcrea Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Last Night of the Proms-British Philarmonic Concert Orchestra Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
7 Music One Night of Elvis - tribute Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
7-15 Festival 10 Parishes Festival: Arts, crafts and performance various:www.10parishesfestival.org.uk various
8 Music Burtle Silver Band Vivary Park, Taunton 3.00
Comedy Ken Dodd Octagon, Yeovil 6.00
Music Boo Hewerdine. David Hall, S.Petherton 8.00
9-10 Comedy Ha Ha Holmes - Jamie Wilson Productions Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
11 Dance /
Poetry
Antara - A K Balakrishnan, Kay Crook, et al Tacchi Morris, Taunton 7.30
12 Music Lunctime Organ Recital - Henry Wallace Wells Cathedral 1.00
Music Forever in Blue Jeans Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Talk Salley Vickers Elaine Feinstein Porlock Village Hall 7.30
12-14 Drama The Bugle Boy: Life of Glen Miller - Jayden Productions Playhouse, W.S.M. 7.30
13 Music Concert in Aid of RAFA Wings Appeal Tacchi Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Milverton Concert Society in association with 10 Parishes
Festival
Milverton Church 8.00
Music Mandy Starr and the Beaufort Male Voice Choir-Wings Appeal Tacchi Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Love War: Lunchtime Concert for Voice Piano St John’s Church, Taunton 12.45
Variety Night at the Abbey - lights, music and entertainment Glastonbury Abbey 6.00
Comedy Andrew Bird with Diana Alexander Blakehay Theare W.S.M. 8.30
Music Lucy Ward. Friday 13th Sept. 8pm David Hall, S.Petherton 8.00
Music Mrs Ackroyd (Porlock Arts Festival) Porlock Village Hall 7.30
14 Music Military Wives Choir Chivenor (Part of Military Tattoo) Taunton Racecourse
Talk Lord Douglas Hurd Sir Roger Carrick Porlock Village Hall 7.30
14-15 Variety Let Me Entertain You Semi Finals Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
16-21 Drama My Mother Said I Never Should - Charlotte Keatley Swan Theatre, Yeovil 7.45
17-21 Drama Relatively Speaking - Alan Ayckbourn Warehouse, Ilminster 7.30

20. 21
25 Film Film Night 1 - English Patient. (Quartz Festival) Queen’s College, Tauntton 7.30
26 Music The Zen Hussies Six-Piece Band (Quartz Festival) Queen’s College, Tauntton 7.30
Music Dean Friedman Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Tin Rocket - Niki McCretton Tacchi Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music London Handel Players Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music Andrew Lucas gives the Norman Andrew Memorial Recital Wells Cathedral 7.30
Comedy Alister McGowan Playhouse, W.S.M. 8.00
27 Film Film Night 2 - Life is Beautiful (Quartz Festival) Queen’s College, Tauntton 7.30
28 Music Maddy Prior (Quartz Festival) Queen’s College, Tauntton 7.30
Comedy Mark Thomas Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Taunton Sinfonietta Temple Methodist Church 7.30
Variety Let me Entertain You Final Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Drama The Vagina Monologues Playhouse, W.S.M. 8.00
Music Southern Folk - Lash and Dave Warehouse, Ilminster 7.30
30 Drama As You Like It - Lord Chamberlain’s Men (Quartz Festival) Queen’s College, Tauntton 7.30
TimeVenueEvent Details
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.
September Events (Cont’d)
Date
21 Music Emily Portman Trio x Vimeo Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Simon and Garfunkel: Through the Years - tribute Tacchi Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Private Peaceful: The Concert Octagon, Yeovil 6.00
Music Concert with The Alberni String Quartet Dillington House, Ilminster 8.00
22 Comedy Jeremy Hardy Octagon, Yeovil 8.00
22 Comedy Pam Ayres Playhouse W.S.M. 5.00
Art Exhibitions August/September
Until 4 Aug. Mike Haslam, oil paintings. Lutyens Gallery, Hestercombe Gardens.
Until 12 Aug. Chandos Society Art Exhibition. Wells Cathedral.
2 August-11 Aug. Harry/Weeks Art Exhibition. Wells Cathedral.
3 August-31 Aug. Nancy Farmer: A Feast of Invention. Ilminster Arts Centre.
7-31 August. Diana Pilcher. ‘Large Paintings in Small Spaces. F.east, Ilminster (Wed-Sat, 10-5)
Until 29 Sep. Outside In: West - Supporting Artists from the Margins. Museum of Somerset, Taunton.
1 Aug-31 Oct. John Candler: Stone Carvings. 3D Exhibition, Hestercombe Gardens.
3 Aug-11 Aug. Quantock Artists Exhibition. Crowcombe Church House, Crowcombe.
5 Aug-26 Aug. Pip Wilson - Oil and Acrylic Paintings. Lutyens Gallery, Hestercombe Gardens.
6-8 Sep and 13-15 Sep. Illumina, Hestercombe Gardens (8.30pm- 10.30pm).
9 Aug-3 Sep. B.S. Arts Society Summer Exhibition. Creative Innovation Centre (9-5).
10 Aug. Meet The Artist (from Made in Glastonbury Exhibition) 2.00-4.00.
10 Aug-1 Sep. Gallery 4 Art: Summer Art at Binham Grange - Binham Grange (10.30-5).
22 Aug-31 Augt. Exhibition of local artists in aid of S.U.R.E. Moose Hall, Taunton (10-6).
3 Sep-19 Sep. Flux by Diane Burnell. Tacchi-Morris, Taunton.
10 Sep-14 Sep. Porlock Art Week (Part of Porlock Festival). Methodist Hall, Porlock.
16 Sep-6 Oct. June Dobson and Andrew Bell. Lutyens Gallery, Hestercombe Gardens.
20 Sep-12 Oct. ‘A Walk on the Wildside’: Twelve Good Women - Mixed Media. Ginger Fig, Taunton (10-4, not Sunday)
21 Sep-6 Oct Somerset Arts Week. Please see widely available free catalogue from many outlets
including Somerset libraries and Brendon Books or follow link to website: www.somersetartworks.org.uk

21. 22
Barn, Obridge House. Contact: Jeremy Harvey. 01823 276421
Barrington Court Barrington Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0NQ 01460 242614
Bishop’s Palace Cathedral GreenWells Somerset BA5 2PD 01749 988111 www.bishopspalace.org.uk
The Blakehay Theatre, Wadham Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1JZ 01934 645493
Brendon Books Bath Place Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
Bridgwater Arts Centre 11-13 Castle Street Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3DD 01278 422 700
The Castle Hotel Castle Green Taunton TA1 1NF 01823 272671
Church St Peter St Paul Moor Lane North Curry Ta3 6JZ 01823 490255
The David Hall, Roundwell St South Petherton. TA13 5AA 01460 240340 info@thedavidhall.org
Dillington House Estate Office, Whitelackington, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9DT 01460 258648 dillington@somerset.gov.uk
Enmore Inn Enmore Rd Durleigh, BRIDGWATER, Bridgwater, Somerset TA5 2AW01278 422 052
F.east, 57 East St, Ilminster, TA19 OAW 01460 53183
Fyne Court Broomfield Somerset TA5 2EQ 01823 451587
Gallery4Art. www.gallery4art.co.uk. 01984 623357
Ginger Fig, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 326798
Glastonbury Abbey Shop Ltd The Abbey Gatehouse Magdalene Street Glastonbury Somerset BA6 9EL 01458 831631 shop@glaston-
buryabbey.com Halseway Manor Crowcombe Taunton, Somerset TA4 4BD 01984 618274
Hestercombe Gardens Hestercombe Taunton TA2 8LG 01823 413 923
Hobbyhorse Ballroom Esplanade Minehead, Somerset TA24 5QP 01643 702274
Ilminster Arts Centre East Street ILMINSTER TA19 0AN 01460 55783
Imagine Design Create Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 252133 imaginedesigncreate@live.co.uk
Museum of Somerset Taunton Castle Castle Green Taunton Somerset TA1 4AA 01823 255088 www.somerset.gov.uk/museums
Music in the Quantocks 01823 451162
Night of the Prom: 07973 252 346
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
The Playhouse Theatre,High Street,Weston super Mare,BS23 1HP 01934 645544
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 Rural Life Museum Abbey Farm Chilkwell Street GlastonburySomerset BA6 8DB 01458 831197
St Mary Magdalene Church Church Square Taunton TA1 1SA 01823 272441
St Mary’s Church Bridgwater St Mary Street Bridgwater TA6 3EQ 01278 422437 saintmarybridgwater@gmail.com
St Mary’s Church Stogumber office.qtb@btinternet.com
St John’s Church Park Street Taunton TA1 4DG secretary@stjohnstaunton.org.uk
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 Library Paul St Taunton, Somerset TA1 3XZ 0845 345 9177
Taunton RFC Hyde Park, Hyde Lane, Bathpool, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 8BU 01823 336363
Taunton Racecourse, Orchard Portman, Somerset TA3 7BL 01823 337172
Temple Methodist Church Upper High Street Taunton TA1 3PY (01823) 275765
Tyntesfield Wraxall, North Somerset, BS48 1NT
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
Contacts List

22. 23
CW BRASS TUITION PERFORMANCE
Professional, friendly, brass instrument
tuition for the complete beginner to the more advanced player. Also
available to play at weddings and funerals including ‘The Last Post’.
Contact Claire Whitworth
on 07947 601205
Winesolution
Bringing you a fresh approach to wine
Independent, family run wine shop and wholesaler
15% DISOUNT WHEN YOU SELECT YOUR OWN CASE OF WINE
Willowbrook Garden Centre, West Buckland, Wellington, Somerset TA21 9HX
Tel 01823 461414 www.winesolution.co.uk
Open 7 days a week

23. 24
International performers to
relaunch Music Festival
after 15 year break
The West Somerset village of Stogum-
ber is to recommence its annual music
festival next month with top-class inter-
national and UK artists as well as free
‘fringe’ events featuring up-and-coming
local acts.
Taking place from 29th August to 1st
September, the line-up includes leading
Czech concert pianist, Lada Valešová;
the award-winning Irish folk singer/
songwriter Cara Dillon; Australian so-
prano Anita Watson who will be appear-
ing at the BBC Proms at the RoyalAlbert
Hall just a few days before her concert in
Stogumber; the West Country saxophone
octet Reed Rage performing big band
jazz swing; Somerset musicians Trio
Paradis with gypsy-inspired melodies;
local bass and violin players, Ben Al-
fie with powerful sounds and lyrics; and
classical organist William Whitehead
who regularly plays at cathedrals such
as Westminster and Rochester.
“The original Stogumber Festival was
much admired and well attended but
when the couple who organised it moved
away, no one else stepped into their
shoes,” explains Stogumber Festival
chairman Lance Moir.
“I came to the village four years ago and
after a while, friends started saying to me
knowingly, ‘We used to have a wonder-
ful festival!’So I began to talk to some of
my professional musical contacts about
the possibility of bringing world-class
music to Stogumber which, after all, is
a lovely environment for musicians to
perform in.
“As my thoughts for the Festival de-
veloped, other ideas emerged from the
villagers so we will offer a range of
musical styles as well as poetry and
workshops for children, ensuring there
is something for all ages and tastes.”
All the main concerts take place in St
Mary’s Church. Individual tickets are
priced from £5 - £21 according to the
event, with complete Festival and Sat-
urday-only passes also available. In
addition, there are free performances
every evening and during the day on
the Saturday and Sunday that every-
one from the area is welcome to at-
tend. These will include a jazz combo,
an acoustic/folk singer, a band playing
Brazilian-style music, an accordionist
and a choir. Finally, there will be two
free children’s workshops based around
art and music and playing the saxo-
phone and clarinet.
Some of the key Festival Times
29 Aug 7.30 Lada Valesova
9.30 Jazz in the Alley
30 Aug 7.30 Cara Dillon/Sam Lakeman
9.30 Folk in the Alley
31 Aug 12.00 Trio Paradis
3.00 Reed Rage
7.30 Anita Watson/Lada Valesova
1 Sep 11.00 William Whitehead
3.30 Choral Evensong
For full artists profiles and clips of their
music please go to www.stogumberfestival.
com. You can also book via the website or
call 0845 539 0168 for tickets and all other
relevant information
Some of the festival performers.
From the top: Anita Watson, William
Whitehead, Cara Dillon and Lada Valesova

24. 25
ALBURY HOUSE GROUP PRACTICE
134 Wellington Rd
Taunton TA1 5LA
Osteopathy
Sara Kennard Associates
01823 332871
Physiotherapy
Maria Andrew
01823 332070
Chiropody
Marian Barnacle Associates
01823 322516
* Established since 1987
* Free Parking
* GroundFloor Treatment Rooms
* Wheelchair Access
the music store
COME AND SEE WHY
OUR REPUTATION GOES BEFORE US
HICKIES
New Pianos Used pianos
Digital Pianos
Piano Hire
Piano Removals
On Site Workshop
Reading Tiverton Est. 1864
A fine selection of grand and upright pianos
See our showroom at:
7 Lowman Units Lowman Way Tiverton EX16 6SR
Just 10 minutes off J27 M5
www.hickies.co.uk
Email: pianos@hickies.co.uk
01884 257211
Tiverton
SOMERSET COUNSELLING CENTRE
Do you feel you need to talk to someone?
Our Counselling Service is here to help
Somerset Counselling Centre (SCC) provides affordable counselling
in the Taunton, Bridgwater and Ilminster areas
We can help with issues such as relationship breakdown, depression,
anxiety, bereavement, trauma, stress and workplace issues
We work with individuals and couples and also have a Young People’s Counselling Service
Taunton: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bridgwater and Ilminster: times by arrangement
Tel: 01823 337049
info@scctaunton.org.uk
38 Belvedere Road, Taunton TA1 1HD
www.scctaunton.org.uk
SCC counsellors have all been trained to high professional standards. SCC has been working since 1990
and is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). We abide by the
BACP Code of Ethics and Practice and aim to achieve the highest standards of service.
Registered Charity No. 1038975

25. 26
For the contemporary Summer Exhibition at Bin-
ham Grange this year Gallery4Art will present a
spacious barn full of art and outdoor sculptures
in the garden to engage and intrigue the visitor.
Each of the 16 artists will have space to tell a
story adding a fresh dimension to the exhibition.
There will be new work and old favourites for
people to enjoy with a range of prices to suit all
budgets from small prints to wall size artworks,
delicate ceramics to large animal sculptures.
This year we have been working with Neo-Ro-
mantic declamatory poet Ralph Hoyte to include
a new area in the exhibition of art and words
inspired by the works of the Romantic Poets
William Wordsworth, Dorothy Wordsworth and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge while they roamed the
Quantock Hills and North Exmoor.
There will be an evening performance of ‘Christ-
abel-Released’ where Ralph Hoyte brings ‘clo-
sure’ to the limbo’d cast of Samuel Taylor Col-
eridge’s unfinished Gothic ballad, Christabel,
in a marathon, evening-long performance on
Wednesday 28th August at 6pm.
Entry to the exhibition and parking are free
of charge and the Binham Grange Restaurant
will be open each day. The exhibition runs
from the 10th August to the 1st September
and is open daily from 10.30am to 5.00, for
details please visit www.gallery4art.co.uk or
phone 01984 623357. Binham Grange is situ-
ated in Old Cleeve, near Minehead TA24 6HX
– tel: 01984 640056.
Summer Art
at
Binham Grange
Some of the work appearing at the Bindon Grange Exhibition.
From the top:
Foreland Point,Trees, Little Owl.

26. 27
The National Gardens Scheme (NGS)
teams up with Somerset Art Works
(SAW) to commission eight new dy-
namic installations within the great
gardens of Somerset
Seven of Somerset’s most delightful
gardens will be the locations for eight
dramatic new artworks and installa-
tions during the Somerset Art Weeks
festival, running from 21st September
to 6th October 2013.
Devised by Somerset Art Works in
association with The National Gar-
dens Scheme (NGS) and funded by
Arts Council England, theAbundance
Garden Trail will comprise a series of
site-specific contemporary commis-
sions, placing these new and chal-
lenging works within the cultivated
garden landscapes of Somerset.
Gardens on the trail are: The Walled
Gardens of Cannington (near Bridg-
water, Sedgemoor), Little Yarford
Farmhouse (Kingston St. Mary, near
Taunton), Stoke St. Mary Gardens
(Stoke St. Mary, near Taunton), Aller
Farmhouse (Williton, West Somer-
set), Tintinhull Garden (Tintinhull),
Esotera (Foddington, near Babcary)
and Henley Mill (Wookey, Mendip).
NGS Charitable Support
Every year NGS gardens across
England and Wales welcome around
750,000 visitors. Most of these gar-
dens are privately owned and open
just a few times each year. From the
proceeds the NGS gives away annually
more than £2.1 million to nursing, car-
ing and gardening charities. Over the past
15 years more that £25 million has been
distributed. The NGS is the biggest sin-
gle donor to MacMillan Cancer Support,
having given £450,000 in 2013. It do-
nated the same amount this year to Marie
Curie Cancer Care. The NGS patron is
HRH The Prince of Wales.
Monies raised from Abundance Garden
Trail venues (except Tintinhull Garden)
will also be donated to NGS and its ben-
eficiary charities. Admission prices to all
gardens are as published in the 2013 NGS
Yellow Book – see details of the Special
Abundance Pass below.
Horn of Plenty
The unusual garden surrounding Little
Yarford Farmhouse embraces a 17th Cen-
tury house (not open to the public) that
is overgrown with a tapestry of climbing
plants. The garden’s three ponds exhibit
a wide range of aquatic gems. Of special
interest is the tree collection of rare and
unusual cultivars, both broad leaf and
conifer, all differing in form and colour
including weeping and fastigiate. The
garden’s three acres are a delight to artist
and plantsman alike.
Artist Gillian Widden’s new work, a gi-
ant Horn of Plenty, will be installed in the
Little Yarford garden. This piece explores
the meaning of the word ‘abundance’ and
its relevance to the world in which we are
living. Derived from the Latin word abun-
dantia, it has a variety of definitions includ-
ing profusion, plentifulness, plenty, bounty,
and copiousness.
Comments Gillian: “In the centre of the
main garden at Little Yarford Farmhouse
is the tump, a raised area from which you
can view the garden as a whole. The Horn
of Plenty will be sited at the far end of the
garden next to the pond. Hopefully the lily
pads will still be in flower. From the top of
the tump you can see the Quantock Hills,
and it is from here that my sculpture will get
the prevailing winds.”
Garden of Eden
At the Esotera Garden at Foddington artist
Fiona Campbell intends to recreate a Garden
of Eden. “Eden is almost tangible at Esot-
era,” she says, “made more so by the impact
of the proposed vibrant, exotic installation
- a product of intricate labour and love cre-
ated from abundant mixed media reclaimed
materials on a large scale, suggesting also
that Eden is everywhere in the fantastical
microscopic world - if we look hard enough.
A garden of earthly delights awaits.”
From an audience perspective, the Abun-
dance Garden Trail programme will aim to
connect the public with the abundant crea-
tivity evident within the cultivation of gar-
dens and art-making in the county.
For full details of all the Abundance
Garden Trail commissions go to:
www.somersetartworks.org.uk/abundance
Abundance

27. 28
Today the legacy of pacifism that ech-
oed though her life remains at the heart
of the centre.
Born in Johannesburg in 1899 - the year
the Second Anglo-Boer War started
- Kathleen Tacchi was the eldest of 5
children. Her parents had met in South
Africa around the time of the Jameson
Raid, but returned to London shortly af-
ter Kathleen’s birth.
Her mother was a trained nurse and her
father Percy an inventor, who designed
the TAC motorcycle for the Wilkinson
Sword Company. The Tacchi family
hailed from Italy, but Percy was born in
London and his father gilded the Lord
Mayor’s Coach and the Royal Barge.
His mother was a French opera singer.
In 1910, while attending Acton Cen-
tral School, Kathleen was expelled for
leading a strike against excessive can-
ing. She was just 10 years old. In her
autobiography she describes how she
was inspired by Ben Tillett, having been
taken by her father to hear the speeches
of Ben and other pioneers of Socialism
at Tower Hill.
Following the incident at Acton she was
sent to boarding school in Manchester,
but was expelled after just one month for
protesting against the treatment of a little
girl, who was sent to stand in a corner
and left there all night. From then on she
was educated at home by her father, who
taught her about evolution and took her
to Secular Society and Fabian Society
Meetings, where she met, among others,
Annie Besant, H.G. Wells and George
Bernard Shaw. It was these childhood ex-
periences that helped to shape Kathleen’s
later role as a campaigner for peace.
After the war she became a typist for a
film-booking agency in London’s War-
dour Street where she met many stars of
the era including Charlie Chaplin, Mary
Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Dur-
ing this time she appeared in a variety of
silent films including ‘Comin’ Thro the
Rye’ and a number of cliff-hanging seri-
als with Pearl White.
Her passion was for dance and, sup-
ported by her Grandmother, she went to
study with Jaques Dalcroze in Paris. In
1922 she set up her own studio on the
Left Bank and would visit James Joyce’s
house in Champ de Mars with his daugh-
ter Lucia. Joyce told Kathleen that she
“walked like Dante’s Beatrice.” Around
this time she met the dancer Marga-
ret Morris and painter J.D. Fergusson
through whom she met Picasso who
painted her portrait.
Her meeting with Picasso marked the
beginning of a long friendship with the
artist and he asked her to represent him
at a Peace Conference in Warsaw. This
experience led her to founding Women
for World Disarmament (WWD).
What started as a one-woman organisa-
tion run from her home in North Curry,
became a worldwide organisation linked
with the United Nations. Her work for
world peace was recognised with several
awards including a United Nations Peace
Medal, the Medal of the Soviet Women’s
Committee and the Gold Medal of the
German Democratic Republic.
Kathleen acquired a home in North Cur-
ry around the time she was filming ‘Men
Are Not Gods’ in 1936. Busy with this
and her dancing school she was looking
for a retreat. By chance she was asked to
Tacchi-Morris
Arts Centre is a
vibrant commu-
nity arts venue in
Taunton,
developed
through support
from Kathleen Tacchi-Morris.

28. 29
dance in Taunton and was shown round a
house by local estate agent Rod Morris.
Kathleen’s then husband Tony was de-
lighted, and said “It’s a good job you’ll
be down there, away from the men.”
Kathleen went on to marry Rod Morris
in 1944 and they lived together at Longs
House until his death in 1988.
On reaching her 90th Birthday in 1989
she decided that it was time to set up a
Trust to establish creative exchanges be-
tween students in the UK and around the
world, with the aim of fostering peace be-
tween the nations. The same year, Heath-
field School produced the first British
performances of ‘Peace Child’- a musical
written by David Woollcombe based on
the The Peace Book by Bernard Benson.
Initially performed in schools in America
and Russia, Woollcombe’s show aimed to
promote greater understanding between
the young people of the two super-pow-
ers. Heathfield School’s version attracted
international attention and a full interna-
tional production followed in 1990.
The performances at the Brewhouse
Theatre and Shaw Theatre in London’s
West End resulted in huge media inter-
est and attracted the attention of Kathleen
Tacchi-Morris. Her desire to support the
building of an international arts centre at
Heathfield was finally realised. In Janu-
ary 2000, following a £1 million dona-
tion from the Tacchi-Morris Trust, to-
gether with a £2.1 million grant from the
Arts Council, Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
opened its doors for the very first time.
Fittingly the original company of ‘Peace
Child’reunited to perform the show in the
newly opened theatre.
Sadly Kathleen died in 1993, aged 94 and
never got to see it. However Tacchi-Mor-
ris Arts Centre continues to receive sup-
port from the Trust set up in her name and
from Heathfield School.
In writing this article I have referred to
Kathleen’s autobiography ‘I Promised
Picasso’ which was written by Gordon
Schaffer, based on interviews he conduct-
ed with her at her home in Taunton.
By Sara Loveridge
Tacchi-Morris: Upstairs Interior
Images of Kathleen Tacchi-Morris. The photographer and the date of the photos is unknown, though they are thought to have been taken in the
1920’s. Please get in touch if you have any further information.

29. 30
Our new Autumn season has just been
launched and we are really excited about
some of the events we have coming up.
In September we welcome back Taunton
Amateur Operatic Society (TAOS) for an
energetic sing-a-long showing of ‘Grease
the Musical’ on 6th.
We have a fantastic Indian dance show
called ‘Antara’ on 11th. ‘Antara’ is an in-
tercultural love poem featuring the exhil-
arating and powerful dance of Ajeesh K
Balakrishnan from the world-renowned
Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in
Bangalore. The movement has been cre-
ated by Ajeesh in collaboration with local
dancer Kayleigh Ann Crook.
Bookends present their show ‘Simon
and Garfunkel: Through the Years’ on
21st which pays a fitting tribute to the
legendary music duo.
International performer Niki McCret-
ton brings her theatre comedy show
‘Tin Rocket’ to our stage on 26th, and
it looks set to be a great evening of
entertainment.
In October programme highlights in-
clude Phizzical Theatre Company’s
‘Cymbeline’ on 2nd which is a clas-
sic tale viewed through a Bollywood
lens, and TAOS return for A Chorus
Line on 12th.
Our exhibition programme continues
to showcase the talents of local artists.
In September we have Taunton artist
Diane Burnell, who will be holding
a ‘Meet the Artist’ event on 14th. We
then host Heathfield School’s Art stu-
dents during ‘Somerset Art Weeks’. In
October we will be announcing some
fantastic free creative activities for all
as we prepare for ‘The Big Draw’- the
world’s biggest drawing festival. In
November Spring Farm Artist Jenny
Graham will be exhibiting her work.
For full details of our programme
come along to our ‘Family Open Day’
on 14th September. There will be lots
of fun to be had with backstage tours,
dance and drama performances, live
music, demonstrations, children’s ac-
tivities, Meet the Artist, stalls, raffle,
refreshments and plenty of surprises.
Above all we want the community to
get involved in their local arts centre
- whether coming to see a show or
exhibition, taking part in one of our
many community classes or becoming
a volunteer or friend.
Louise Lappin-Cook, Director
of Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
looks forward to a busy new
season starting in September
Discover more at the Family
Fun Day on Sat 14th Sep
12noon - 4pm. Free entry.
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
School Road, Taunton TA2 8PD
Box Office: 01823 414141.
Website: www.tacchi-morris.com
Niki - Tin Rocket
Cymbeline

30. 31
Art by the Park
A new Art gallery has opened in Taunton, and is
the project of Rachel Hartland, herself an artist
and poet.
Rachel has, for some time wanted to open a
gallery in order to help artists like herself show
their work. Very often, in large commercial gal-
leries when a piece sells, the artist can be left
with very little payment after the commission
has been claimed, this can be discouraging and
put many artists off exhibiting. At Park Art
and Collectable only a minimal monthly exhibi-
tion fee is charged and no commission, leaving
the artists with the full payment for their work
when the work sells. Even though she has only
been in business a few weeks, Rachel has sold
several paintings. The greatest asset of the shop,
she believes, is the High Street position which is
right opposite Vivary Park gates, and that it is a
very busy spot, on a main driving route through
Taunton and there is the constant coming and
going from the park by commuters, dog walk-
ers, cyclists, wheel chair users and pedestrians
window shopping at the nearby traffic lights.
‘Although people are in a hurry they take note
of the shop and return later’. Says Rachel.
‘I noticed this small outlet over the years and
thought, one day, when the time is right it would
be great to do something like this, and here I
am’. What she really enjoys most of all is the
customer contact and she already has estab-
lished regulars particularly with those who buy
the small antiques and collectables which
make up the second part of the business.
The customers have been supportive and
encouraging and pop back to check what’s
new or interesting.
Rachel’s current exhibiting artists are:
Shelley Langford lives and works in Taun-
ton and graduated over 20 years ago with a
degree in Textile Design. Shelley’s work is
inspired by the coast; he aims to portray a
sense of place and to capture the reflected
light from the sea, which has a fascination
for him. Shelley has sold three paintings
through the Gallery since the opening in
June.
Robert Parker studied Fine Art at the Uni-
versity of Durham and is a well known lo-
cal artist and tutor, and has exhibited at the
Royal South West Academy, Bristol, and
in London and France. Bob is currently
showing a collection of Botanical water
colours and will be of interest to gardeners
on route to the Flower Show.
Lindy Reynolds has undergone a course
in Textile Design. She is exhibiting pieces
of machine embroidery on silk, depicting
scenes from nature, and finds that Somer-
set provides her with perfect inspiration
for her work.
Tor Townsend is a locally well known
and established artist and has sold and
exhibited widely in Somerset, working
in mixed media she is currently exhib-
iting a painting of Lynmouth in which
she has captured the transparency and
jewelled colours of the water.
Sheelagh Vaulter is Somerset born and
bred. Having enjoyed art at school, she
is self taught and has been painting since
leaving work in 2006. She has found her
medium through scenic painting and the
versatility of Gouache. Sheelagh exhib-
its regularly at the Taunton Flower Show
and was a prize winner in recent years
with her painting ‘Brighton Pavilion’.
Katie Barrass is also a local artist who
specialises in botanical work, and pro-
ducing very delicate studies of garden
flowers. Katie teaches fashion textile
students at higher education, and works
as a freelance designer.
Amanda Evans will also be exhibiting
examples of her botanical work in Au-
gust.
Rachel Hartland is currently exhibiting at
Park Art and Collectables and at the At-
kinson Gallery Millfield Summer show,
which continues to the 10th August. Her
own work includes close-up photogra-
phy, glass art, abstract mixed media, and
3D. She completed a fine art degree in
2010 and in recent years and has exhib-
ited at the North Devon Festival, Som-
erset Art Weeks, the Brewhouse, and on
three occasions in the Atkinson Gallery
at Millfield where she won a prize for
her installation ‘The Shadow Factory’
at the 21st summer show, plus a one
woman show at Frenchay Hospital in
2012-2013. She published her own book
of poetry and art, ‘Holes in the Soul’ a
Life of Poetry in Art, all profits from the
book will be presented to Frenchay Hos-
pital Adult Burns Unit, in October 2013.
The book is on sale at the Gallery.
A new Art gallery has
opened in Taunton, opened
by Rachel
Hartland, herself an artist
and poet.
Enquiries to : Park Art, 31B High
St, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3PN
Tel. 077301 33397
email: hartlandart@googlemail.

31. 32
There will be an exhibition of Di-
ana Pilcher’s recent work at F.east
in Ilminster, a delightful old build-
ing that houses a vegetarian restau-
rant and a gallery upstairs.
Diana moved to Somerset from
Sussex in 2000 after graduating in
Fine Art Painting. For the past 12
years she has taught Fine Art at
Yeovil College and has particularly
enjoyed working with other artists
and watching their development
over time.
Though she was brought up in Lon-
don in the 50’s and 60’s she had
always preferred a rural environ-
ment for its colour and less frenetic
pace. She has a particular affinity
for the North Devon coastline and
last year produced work on the Lyn
River, linking it back to the history
of the Lynmouth Floods, the loss
of lives, of scars (seen and unseen)
for the Space Place Practice Symposium
and Exhibition at UWE Bristol.In her cur-
rent exhibition she is exploring the idea
of experiencing a sense of space through
colour. She draws much of her inspiration
from mid-twentieth century artists such as
Robert Motherwell and Mark Rothko in
New York, Antoni Tapies and Joan Miro
from Spain, and Francis Bacon from Brit-
ain. ‘This is my favourite era for paint-
ing,’ she reveals. ‘It seemed to mark a pe-
riod in which painting ran ahead of other
art forms for a while. My own paintings
are currently a tribute to the optimism and
lack of uniformity that was around dur-
ing that era across all arts forms including
dance, music and sculpture.’Many people
look back to the 50’s as a bleak period but
she does not remember it like that. To her
it was full of bright colours and optimism,
a feeling of letting go and liberalism in
education which she believes has now
(sadly) disappeared: ‘For a time there was
a real feeling that art was taking centre
stage.
Her mentor for many years has been the
internationally famous American dancer
and choreographer William Forsythe. Per-
haps a surprising choice - though dance is
also a great love of hers - and he has also
produced a number of installations which
have been shown in the Louvre and other
major galleries throughout the world: ‘To
me he is the most important living artist in
the world.’ She particularly likes the way
he infuses his dance with optimism. She
does not like the current pre-occupation
with conceptual art and cultural relativ-
ism ‘where everything is acceptable and
which is full of extraneous narratives.’
For her art should be instinctive and she
believes that you should take responsibil-
ity for your own actions.
See Diana Pilcher’s Art
‘Large’ Paintings For Small Spaces
7-31 August between Wed-Sat 10-5
F.east, 57 East Street, Ilminster, TA19 0AW
01460-53183
Large Paintings
for Small Spaces
Two of the paintings which will appear at
the exhibition. Top: Blue Washing Above:
Cahors Garden. Diana paints mainly in oils
on an acrylic base. She likes the translucent
nature of oil which produces vibrant colours
and does not deflect away light.
F.east cafe where Daina Pilcher’s work wil be
on display

32. 33
The Oldest Longest Running Flower Show
in the Country
The Taunton flower show has been in existence since 1831 and
has long been recognised as one of the best flower shows in the
country - an essential part of the Taunton calendar. To coincide
with the 2013 flower show, Vice President Anne Leamon has
published a book exploring its history.
Anne Leamon has been involved with the
flower show in one way or another nearly
all her life: first as a young child when
her mother, who was president of the lo-
cal women’s institute used to take her on
the pillion of her bicycle; later with her
brothers when she also enjoyed the Fun
Fair in Wilton Lands; and, as she grew
older, to see the plants and the outside
stands, particularly the army ones as she
wanted to join the army when she was
older. ‘The year they brought the para-
chute tower was especially memorable,’
she says. ‘The nervous anticipation of
climbing the tower, viewing the show site
from above , but then the thrill of jump-
ing off, to float gently down to earth.’She
sold plants from her own nursery from an
outside stand before graduating to the
trade tent: ‘It was amazing competing
against Otter Nurseries, Scotts Nurseries
or Cadbury Garden Centre, all of us sadly
no longer exhibiting and to hear the com-
ments of the public as they wandered past
the stand.’With such a history of involve- ment in the flower show and now Vice
President, she is well qualified to write
this history which is also accompanied
by a number of intriguing photos, post-
ers and memorabilia.
In the early 1870’s triumphal arches were elected along the streets.This is believed to be erected in the
High Street in 1874 by Edward Jeboult.
Anne will give a talk on her book at the
Flower Show and will be available to
sign copies of her book.
Venue: Vivary Park, Floral Marquee
3 August at 3.00
Signed copies of her book will also be
available from Brendon Books, Bath
Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
email: brendonbooks@gmail.com
Anne will also be interested to hear from
anyone wants to contact her with regard
to any memorabilia they may have of
the flower show that they would like to
share with her.
Miltonia spectabilis, var Morelliana

33. 34
Taunton Through Time
A new publication combines more than
ninety archive photographs and old pic-
ture postcards of the streets, buildings,
and people of Taunton with contempo-
rary photographs of the town as it looks
now. In this volume you can view Taun-
ton as your forefathers may have seen it;
compare those scenes with images of the
town today, and discover something of the
rich history that Taunton, the county town
of Somerset, has to offer.
The author and compiler, Simon
Haines was born and raised in
Somerset. After almost two dec-
ades years away from the county
studying and teaching Archaeol-
ogy, History, and English as a For-
eign Language at universities else-
where in the UK and in Central
Europe he has recently returned
to live and work in rural Somer-
set. The vintage images included
in this volume have been sourced
from his extensive archive of over
ten thousand historic glass plate
negatives and images of the West
of England, and former German
territories in present-day Poland.
He is currently working on a new
TEFL/TESL project and a further
‘Through Time’ title for Amberley
Publishing
Copies of the new book are available from
Brendon Books, Old Brewery Building.
Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
01823 337742 email: brendonbooks@gmail.com
Top: Automobile meeting at Claridge’s London Hotel (later The
County Hotel) in 1904
Middle: Fore Street about 1910 showing the Somerset and Devon
Stores. The building was demolished in the 1960’s.
Bottom: Taunton High Street about 1920.
Castle gateway in about 1905. The
recent photo above shows the addi-
tion of a thoird storey.

34. 35
Chrissy Banks was born and grew up in the Isle of Man. She lives in Somerset and works as a
Counsellor. She is a member of Fire River Poets and a regular open mic reader at their Poetry
Cafes and Readings. Her collection, Days of Fire and Flood (original plus) was published in
2005 and she has had poems recently published in various magazines and anthologies, in-
cluding the magazines the Rialto and Obsessed with Pipework, the anthologies The Captain’s
Tower: Seventy Poets Celebrate Bob Dylan at Seventy (Seren 2012) and The Listening Walk
(CreateSpace, June 2013).
Poetry Corner: Chrissy Banks
The Sitters
1
We who come to sit,
what do we hope to discover
in this small whitewashed cell
with its two plain wooden chairs?
When curiosity finds us
helpless as a bunch of grapes
under the steely eyes of the artist,
what kind of reward for this do we expect?
The challenge is not to resist
whatever truth lives in shape or colour.
To meet the artist’s gaze. Then the gaze
of that familiar unfamiliar person in the frame.
2
And yet -
when we said, Tell it like it is,
we were not meaning this:
Not meaning the pen and ink lines
that appear to be stubble on that (female) chin.
Not meaning a white face naive as a new-baked loaf,
something blatantly coquettish
about the way we turn our heads to look at you
looking at us. Not meaning a nugget of stone
apparent in the throat or the unblinking
luminous gaze of someone crazy
for the cold blade of a knife. Not meaning
the straight line of a crenellated, thin top lip,
the shoulders that never shrug. Not meaning
everything in monotone. Not meaning the wince
creased into the forehead as you find us out,
the hair twisted, the brow pleated
through thinking too much, eyes behind glass
seeing more than they want. Not meaning
more loveliness than we have ever possessed.
Not meaning, for a single breath, our hearts
hung at our throats. Not meaning the mask
stripped away to expose the vulnerable bones.
When we offered to sit for you,
this was not what we were meaning.
This was not what we meant.
Postcript
And to sit
in the confusion of the twenty first century,
simply taking one breath after another,
this too is an art.
November 2012 for Faces Bath
Young Again
As if they’d been waiting for us,
they appear,
their black backs two wet rocks
that have learnt to swim.
Show-offs, mother and baby.
Snorting fountains, they glide,
buck and dip,
play us
with their vanishing acts –
and there!
re-appear upended,
cleft tails raised till,
toppling,
a weight of leather
slaps against the oceans’s skin.
Then the mother whale glides
under the world of the boat.
And we are young again,
bums up, leaning over the side,
to witness the slow slide
of her back
emerging.
And it keeps coming,
moment by moment,
mile by mile,
like a planet
swimming itself
through the birthing waters
back when time itself
was a child.

35. 36
The Cricks lived at Toad-Water; and in
the same lonely upland spot Fate had
pitched the home of the Saunderses, and
for miles around these two dwellings
there was never a neighbour or a chim-
ney or even a burying-ground to bring
a sense of cheerful communion or so-
cial intercourse. Nothing but fields and
spinneys and barns, lanes and waste-
lands. Such was Toad-Water; and, even
so, Toad-Water had its history.
Thrust away in the benighted hinter-
land of a scattered market district, it
might have been supposed that these
two detached items of the Great Human
Family would have leaned towards one
another in a fellowship begotten of kin-
dred circumstances and a common iso-
lation from the outer world. And per-
haps it had been so once, but the way of
things had brought it otherwise. Indeed,
otherwise. Fate, which had linked the
two families in such unavoidable as-
sociation of habitat, had ordained that
the Crick household should nourish and
maintain among its earthly possessions
sundry head of domestic fowls, while
to the Saunderses was given a disposi-
tion towards the cultivation of garden
crops. Herein lay the material, ready
to hand, for the coming of feud and ill-
blood. For the grudge between the man
of herbs and the man of live stock is no
new thing; you will find traces of it in
the fourth chapter of Genesis. And one
sunny afternoon in late spring-time the
feud came--came, as such things mostly
do come, with seeming aimlessness and
triviality. One of the Crick hens, in obe-
dience to the nomadic instincts of her
kind, wearied of her legitimate scratch-
ing-ground, and flew over the low wall
that divided the holdings of the neigh-
bours.And there, on the yonder side, with
a hurried consciousness that her time and
opportunities might be limited, the mis-
guided bird scratched and scraped and
beaked and delved in the soft yielding
bed that had been prepared for the solace
and well-being of a colony of seedling
onions. Little showers of earth-mould
and root-fibres went spraying before the
hen and behind her, and every minute
the area of her operations widened. The
onions suffered considerably. Mrs. Saun-
ders, sauntering at this luckless moment
down the garden path, in order to fill her
soul with reproaches at the iniquity of the
weeds, which grew faster than she or her
good man cared to remove them, stopped
in mute discomfiture before the pres-
ence of a more magnificent grievance.
And then, in the hour of her calamity, she
turned instinctively to the Great Mother,
and gathered in her capacious hands large
clods of the hard brown soil that lay at her
feet. With a terrible sincerity of purpose,
though with a contemptible inadequacy
of aim, she rained her earth bolts at the
marauder, and the bursting pellets called
forth a flood of cackling protest and
panic from the hastily departing fowl.
Calmness under misfortune is not an at-
tribute of either hen-folk or womenkind,
and while Mrs. Saunders declaimed over
her onion bed such portions of the slang
dictionary as are permitted by the Non-
conformist conscience to be said or sung,
the Vasco da Gama fowl was waking the
echoes of Toad-Water with crescendo
bursts of throat music which compelled
attention to her griefs. Mrs. Crick had a
long family, and was therefore licensed,
in the eyes of her world, to have a short
temper, and when some of her ubiqui-
tous offspring had informed her, with
the authority of eye-witnesses, that her
neighbour had so far forgotten herself as
to heave stones at her hen--her best hen,
the best layer in the countryside--her
thoughts clothed themselves in language
“unbecoming to a Christian woman”--
so at least said Mrs. Saunders, to whom
most of the language was applied. Nor
was she, on her part, surprised at Mrs.
Crick’s conduct in letting her hens stray
into other body’s gardens, and then abus-
ing of them, seeing as how she remem-
bered things against Mrs. Crick--and the
latter simultaneously had recollections
of lurking episodes in the past of Susan
Saunders that were nothing to her credit.
“Fond memory, when all things fade we
fly to thee,” and in the paling light of
an April afternoon the two women con-
fronted each other from their respective
sides of the party wall, recalling with
shuddering breath the blots and blem-
ishes of their neighbour’s family record.
There was that aunt of Mrs. Crick’s who
had died a pauper in Exeter workhouse--
every one knew that Mrs. Saunders’ un-
cle on her mother’s side drank himself to
death--then there was that Bristol cousin
of Mrs. Crick’s! From the shrill triumph
with which his name was dragged in, his
crime must have been pilfering from a
cathedral at least, but as both remem-
brancers were speaking at once it was
difficult to distinguish his infamy from
the scandal which beclouded the mem-
ory of Mrs. Saunders’ brother’s wife’s
The Blood-Feud of Toad-Water:
a West-country Epic
by H.H. Munro (SAKI)
Short Story

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mother--who may have been a regicide,
and was certainly not a nice person as
Mrs. Crick painted her. And then, with
an air of accumulating and irresistible
conviction, each belligerent informed
the other that she was no lady--after
which they withdrew in a great silence,
feeling that nothing further remained to
be said. The chaffinches clinked in the
apple trees and the bees droned round
the berberis bushes, and the waning
sunlight slanted pleasantly across the
garden plots, but between the neighbour
households had sprung up a barrier of
hate, permeating and permanent.
The male heads of the families were
necessarily drawn into the quarrel, and
the children on either side were forbid-
den to have anything to do with the un-
hallowed offspring of the other party.
As they had to travel a good three miles
along the same road to school every day,
this was awkward, but such things have
to be. Thus all communication between
the households was sundered. Except
the cats. Much as Mrs. Saunders might
deplore it, rumour persistently pointed
to the Crick he-cat as the presumable
father of sundry kittens of which the
Saunders she-cat was indisputably the
mother. Mrs. Saunders drowned the kit-
tens, but the disgrace remained.
Summer succeeded spring, and winter
summer, but the feud outlasted the wan-
ing seasons. Once, indeed, it seemed
as though the healing influences of re-
ligion might restore to Toad-Water its
erstwhile peace; the hostile families
found themselves side by side in the
soul-kindling atmosphere of a Revival
Tea, where hymns were blended with
a beverage that came of tea-leaves and
hot water and took after the latter parent,
and where ghostly counsel was temper-
ed by garnishings of solidly fashioned
buns--and here, wrought up by the envi-
ronment of festive piety, Mrs. Saunders
so far unbent as to remark guardedly to
Mrs. Crick that the evening had been a
fine one. Mrs. Crick, under the influence
of her ninth cup of tea and her fourth
hymn, ventured on the hope that it might
continue fine, but a maladroit allusion on
the part of the Saunders good man to the
backwardness of garden crops brought
the Feud stalking forth from its corner
with all its old bitterness. Mrs. Saunders
joined heartily in the singing of the final
hymn, which told of peace and joy and
archangels and golden glories; but her
thoughts were dwelling on the pauper
aunt of Exeter.
Years have rolled away, and some of
the actors in this wayside drama have
passed into the Unknown; other onions
have arisen, have flourished, have gone
their way, and the offending hen has long
since expiated her misdeeds and lain
with trussed feet and a look of ineffable
peace under the arched roof of Barnsta-
ple market.
But the Blood-feud of Toad-Water sur-
vives to this day.
Saki: Master Storyteller
Saki is the pen name of H.H. Munro (Hector Hugh Munro), born on 18 December
1870 in Akyab, Burma ( now Myanmur), the son of an inspector in the Burma Police.
His mother died only two years later killed by a runaway cow in an English country
lane - an incident which could have occurred in one of his own short stories. He was
brought up with his sister and brother by two aunts, Charlotte and Augusta, at Pilton
near Barnstaple. The aunts hated each other and frequently used corporal punish-
ment to discipline the children. He was educated at Pencarwick school near Exmouth
and Bedford Grammar School. In 1893 he himself joined the Burma Police. Three
years later he returned to England and began writing for the Westminster Gazette.
He wrote a non-fiction book, The rise of the Russian Empire (there was to be no
other) and in 1902 a collection of short stories, the Not -So-Stories. After working
as a foreign correspondent in the Balkans, Russia and Paris, he returned to London
where he wrote most of his best known stories. Although several of his stories are
anti-semitic in tone and he was no doubt a misogynist, he also satirised Edwardian
culture and its strict discipliine. He never married. He was a homosexual when it was
a criminal act and when Wilde was considered taboo.
Saki’s own death exhibited some of the ironic qualities of his mother’s death. He had enlisted as an ordinary soldier
even though over-age and refusing a commission as he believed he should learn to be a soldier before command-
ing others. Returning from a bout of Malaria at the battalion hospital, he was killed while sheltering in a crater at
Beaumont-Hamel on November 13,1916. According to his friend Spikesman, he had just shouted out to one of the
troops who had just lit up in a position where it would have been dangerous to show any source of light, ‘Put that
bloody cigarette Out!’, when he was caught by a snipers bullet.

37. 38
My Favourite...
The ‘tragedy’ of studying literature for
three years at Plymouth has been that
many books have gathered dust through-
out my studies. I say ‘tragedy’ because
when discovering and delighting in the
works of everyone from Austen to Wil-
de, it’s really hard to complain you have
nothing good to read.
James Clavell’s Shōgun was the most
brutal, beautiful and brilliant thing I ever
found in The Castle School library. Or-
dered by accident, I begged for it to be
catalogued based on the cover/synopsis
alone. An embellished historical epic that
covers European dealings with Japan in
the early 1600s, it shows the culture clash
of East/West in a sensitive and even-
handed light. Profoundly educational
while being a thrilling tale of diplomacy,
violence and honour in a land the Europe-
ans don’t fully understand and the Japa-
nese have realised is part of a much wider
world.
As the youngest person to contribute to
this feature so, far I feel obliged to make
some leftfield choices. My art selection
is the work of comic book artist Jim Lee;
specifically the superb graphic novel Bat-
man: Hush. Lee draws the characters in an
iconic yet solid style, powerful in action
but human in their privacy. Faces can be the
toughest part of a comic; Lee fills each one
with myriad emotions and an exquisite de-
tail which carries over to every panel. And
with some of the best writing Jeph Loeb
has ever done you have a beautifully drawn
story that both newcomers and aficio-
nados can enjoy.
My go-to album on a lazy day is Jimi
Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys. Released
just six months before his death, if
you’ve ever debated that Hendrix is
one of the greatest guitarist of all time,
I urge you to hunt down the track ‘Ma-
chine Gun’. It is one of the most inno-
vative and powerful pieces of electric
guitar ever recorded; along with Hen-
drix’s laconic banter and the exception-
al supporting work by Buddy Miles and
Billy Cox makes this a live album both
intimate and grandiose.
Some don’t believe Shakespeare wrote
Titus Andronicus. This is understand-
able. Titus is violent; insanely, disturb-
ingly, preposterously violent. A Roman
tragedy a la Quentin Tarantino, Sam
Peckinpah’s Julius Caesar: filicide,
rape, mutilation, madness, self-muti-
lation, torture, butchery, cannibalism,
regicide. Like the Bard’s best it can be
read many ways, absurdist exploitation
to nihilistic dystopia. It’s an interesting
addition to the canon, even if it isn’t
everyone’s idea of classic Shakespeare.
We asked Charlie Warren to Share his favourite piece of literature,
art, music and drama with us. Charlie is a recent graduate in crea-
tive writing from Plymouth University. He went to Castle School
and Richard Huish College, is currently working on play and
hopes to be a published writer one day.

38. 39
BOOKS: New Old
Ordnance Survey Map Stockists
Organisers of the Taunton Literary Festival
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

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