This document provides information about an upcoming series of three talks on art history topics to be given by Maggie Giraud at The Castle Hotel in Taunton. The first talk in September will focus on the unique responses to battle of Paul Nash and Stanley Spencer during World War I. In October, Maggie will give a talk responding to a recent exhibition of works by Edouard Manet in London. The final November talk will discuss how portraits have been viewed since the advent of photography. Coffee is provided before each talk, and a two course lunch with wine can be purchased afterwards. Tickets for the talks alone are £15, while tickets including lunch are £39.

1. LAMP Magazine
September/October 2014 Free
Shining a light on literature, art, music and performance in Somerset
This issue includes the programme for
the Taunton Literary Festival 2014

2. Autumn Book Talks at Brendon Books
Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
www.brendonbooksonline.co.uk
7.00 pm Thursday 4 September Linda Newbery, Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon
7.00 pm Tuesday 16 September Maria McCann, Ace, King Knave
In cramped rooms in Covent Garden, Betsy-Ann shuffles a pack of cards. A gam-bler,
not be more different to Sophia’s - but she too discovers that she has been lied to.
As both women take steps to discover the truth, their lives come together through
a dramatic series of events, taking the reader through the streets of 1760s London:
a city wearing a genteel civility on its surface and rife with hypocrisy, oppression
and violence lurking underneath.
7.00 pm Thursday 25 September Peter Haggett, The Quantocks
7.00 pm Thu 16 Oct Norman Woodcock & Susan Burnett, On That Day I Left My Boyhood Behind
2
It was the day when everything stopped. At quarter past two on a hot afternoon in
August, Anna’s beautiful, headstrong elder sister Rose disappears. Twenty years lat-er,
Anna still doesn’t know whether Rose is alive or dead. In her early thirties now,
she sees her future unfolding - with sensible, serious Martin and a grown-up, steady
job - and finds herself wondering if this is what she really wants.
Unable to take control of her life while the mystery of her sister’s disappearance
remains unsolved, Anna begins to search for the truth: what did happen to Rose that
summer’s day? This is the first adult novel for the Costa Award winner.
dealer in second-hand goods, and living with a grave robber, her life could
The Quantocks are a quiet corner of Somerset’s countryside with many claims
to fame. Blessed with heather-clad hills, deep wooded combes, and flanking
villages with fine medieval churches, it was the first area in England to be given
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) status. Crucible for the Coleridge-
Wordsworth friendship in the 18C, refuge for scientists and sinners in the 19C,
today it has a rich legacy of fine country houses and landscaped gardens.
This new biography captures its fascinating past and its challenging present.
Peter Haggett was born, bred and schooled in Somerset. A former Cambridge
don and Bristol University professor, he has returned to his roots to write this
affectionate tribute to this gentle, unpretentious region. To do so, he has
teamed up with his daughter to illustrate the text with over 130 photographs.
At 17 Norman Woodcock was called up and left for war with little more than the
uniform on his back. He returned in 1919. Like most men who fought, he was
reluctant to talk about the war and it was not until later life that he began to tell
his story. “On that day I left my boyhood behind” is a moving report of what
actually happened to Norman and the men he served alongside during the First
World War. Norman’s granddaughter, Susan Burnett, has interspersed his words
with historical commentary to give context to his experiences. As one leading
reviewer said “the intensely personal animates the bigger history”, as such this
book will appeal to those studying the First World War. Susan was born and
brought up in Taunton, attending Bishop Fox’s School. Norman worked in Taun-ton
and later retire here. He died in 1987.
All ticket reservations
and enquiries
to Brendon Books

3. 3
Contents
05 Taunton Literary Festival & Brewhouse Report
06 Maggie Giraud./Taunton Forward
09 Making an Exhibition of Ourselves/Ken Grieb
11 Hans Scwarz
15 Habeas Corpus
16 Phoenix Singers
19 Poster Power
20 The Haunting
22 Frost at Midnight/Murder on the Nile
25 Taunton Literary Festival pull-out
33 Calendar of Events
39 Workshops
42 Quartz Festival
44 Jazz at Ilmiinster Arts
46 Muddy Choir
48 Skylines/Art at the CICCIC
49 Writers Anon
50 Page is Printed
54 My Favourite
55 Berrys Coach Limericks/ 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.
This issue includes
the programme for
the Taunton Literary
Festival

4. 4

5. Taunton Literary Festival Programme Launched
The Fourth Taunton Literary Festival
Programme is launched with this
issue of the LAMP Magazine and is
the longest yet with 40 events over 3
weeks.
It is a diverse programme beginning
with an interview with Rachel Joyce
who reprises one of her characters
from the Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
with her new book, The Love Song
of Queenie Hennessey. The following
day there is a book fair promoting
literature and the visual arts and in
the evening what promises to be a
fascinating talk by Mark Kitto and his
time living and operating a business
in China.
The programme is diverse though, as
one might expect, the First World War
features with a local book on the lives
_______________________________ __
5
THE BREWHOUSE IS OPEN!
Val Hammond, Chair of the Board of Directors, reports on progress at the Brewhouse
The Brewhouse re-opened
in April and since then
there have been more than
15 productions and over
30 performances as well as
art exhibitions, yet people
still ask: “Is the theatre
open?”. The coming
months will answer this
question resoundingly as
we release a programme
including drama – classics,
popular and new work, music
and singers – traditional, folk,
jazz, songs from musicals and
from Cwmbach male voice choir,
family entertainment including Chris
& Pui from CBeebies, side-splitting
comedians, and the Vienna Festival
Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’.
With a well-stocked bar catering for
different tastes and kiosks offer-ing
snacks, sweets, soft drinks and
Granny Gothard’s delicious ice cream
there is refreshment for all.
So, what’s different? Well, at present
the theatre runs without paid staff.
Although this will change a little in
the coming months as we recruit a
small leadership team, we aim to keep
the focus on the personal, friendly
but professional service provided by
our fantastic volunteers who will continue
to work in all areas both front of house and
backstage.
As we develop we will have even more to
offer with plans to enhance the building and
its facilities – that’s for the future. Right
now we hope many more people – previous
friends and those new to the theatre – will
come and sample what’s on offer for the the-atre
needs its audience as much as Taunton
needs its theatre.
The Brewhouse Theatre, Coal Orchard, Taunton,
Somerset TA1 1JL
Box Office. 01823 283244
http://www.tauntontheatre.org.uk
of those take part in the Upper Culm
Valley, the mental health fall-out is
examined in Susie Grogan’s book
Shell Shocked Britain and WIlliam
Philpott examines why and how the
conflict was fought as it was in his
book Attrition.
The Second World War is also repre-sented
with Spitfire Girl, a book about
local war heroine Jackie Moggridge
with a talk from her daughter, Candy,
24 hours at Waterloo examined by
Robert Kershaw and the Battle of
Dunkirk with Sincalir McKay.
There are biographies of Gabriel
D’Annunzio in the Pike by Lucy
Hughes-Hallet, David Hockney by
Christopher Simon Sykes, James
Bond and his residence in Jamaica,
Paul Upton on artist and sometime
Somerset resident Hans Scwarz and the
life of Seamus Heaney is explored and
celebrated by Graham Fawcett.
There are also opportunities to debate
education with Jeremy Browne and
Jeremy Harvey and the veracity of
Shakespeare’s authorshio with Alexander
Waugh.
On the less serious side, there are also
presentations from two comedians
in Tom Moran (Dinosaurs and Prime
Numbers and Richard SMith (The First
englisman to Fly).
The whole lot is topped-off with a talk
by long term resident of Taunton, John
Meikle
A full pull-out programme is at the cen-tre
of the magazine.

6. On October 16th Maggie responds to an exhibition of Edouard Manet held in London self-explanatory talk , ’There’s so much more to say about…..’. The final lecture of on November 13th, discusses how we look at portraits since the advent of photography entitled ‘Paint the soul, never mind the arms and legs’. The lectures, which do not knowledge of the subjects, will give enjoyment to both newcomers and those who knowledgeable of the world of art. Maggie ranges freely over her topics, which copious images, and amplified by quotations and anecdotes. She does not mind Coffee precedes all the talks at 11a.m. and a set two course lunch with wine, and the table is available afterwards. Tickets cost £15 for Coffee and Talk , and £39 for lunch. (End)
Talks About Art by Maggie Giraud
Following the popularity of her spring lectures, The Castle Hotel Taunton Is
presenting another three talks by the art historian Maggie Giraud. The autumn
series begins on September 11th with ‘Two Visionary Artists of the Great War’,
which celebrates the unique responses to battle of Paul Nash and Stanley Spen-cer.
On October 16th Maggie responds to an exhibition of Edouard Manet held in
London last year, with a self-explanatory talk , ’There’s so much more to say
about…..’. The final lecture of the autumn series, on November 13th, discusses
how we look at portraits since the advent of photography and is entitled ‘Paint
the soul, never mind the arms and legs’. The lectures, which do not require
previous knowledge of the subjects, will give enjoyment to both newcomers and
those who are already quite knowledgeable of the world of art. Maggie ranges
freely over her topics, which are illustrated with copious images, and amplified
by quotations and anecdotes. She does not mind being interrupted!
Coffee precedes all the talks at 11a.m. and a set two course lunch with wine, and
discussion round the table is available afterwards. Tickets cost £15 for Coffee
and Talk, and £39 for the inclusion of lunch.
Photo of Paul Nash Self-portraif of Stanley Spencer Olympia by Manet Francis Bacon
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Taunton Forward
Taunton Forward, a campaigining group for ‘a better
Taunton’ is just 8 months old. Director, Pam Knight,
reports on progress so far:
‘We all dream about what the future will bring, but one Taunton group is
doing far more than that – they are influencing and moulding the future of
our county town.
TauntonForward was launched just 8 months ago and is a campaigning taskforce led by its Chairman, Dr John Newton, the
Headmaster of Taunton School. Driven by passionate business leaders, town centre traders and local people who are not pre-pared
6
Images from left to right:
Photo of Paul Nash For lecture 13 Sept
Self-portrait of Stanley Spencer “
Olympia by Manet For lecture 16th Oct
Francis Bacon by Lucian Freud For lecture 13th Nov
simply to dream about the future, TauntonForward is encouraging the community, and importantly, the town council, to
‘think like a city’.
Growth and prosperity are not something we can just hope for. We need action now to develop Taunton into a first class desti-nation
for business and leisure. We believe we have spent long enough in limbo. We need to act, and act fast, to build our county
town if we are to compete with Bristol, Plymouth and Exeter.
Kit Chapman, proprietor of The Castle at Taunton and also director and member of TauntonForward, is committed to building
Taunton’s cultural offering:
“Somerset’s county town needs a large 1000 seater-plus performing arts centre which will attract national and international
productions to the town. This would transform Taunton’s economy, making Somerset’s county town a prime destination in the
region and beyond.”
TauntonForward has already gained great support within the town - people who are actively and practically supporting Taun-ton
Deane Borough Council in shared objectives to achieve these goals.
And, whilst it is always a battle to bring about change, TauntonForward emphasise that they won’t let politics or procrastina-tion
hinder this opportunity to make Taunton’s dream future a reality!
If you would like to join this dynamic group contact info@tauntonforward.com or visit www.tauntonforward..com’

7. 7

8. In September from the 20th until the 5th
October Contains Art in Watchet is hosting
an exhibition of fifty and more self-portraits
of artists living in West Somerset.
The brief sent out inviting submissions
begins with a quotation from a National
Portrait Gallery publication. “The self-por-trait
is the artist’s most intimate personal
legacy, and most public form of self-adver-tisement”
The show will put faces to the artists and
declare their identity and presence within
the West Somerset community. At the
time of writing we cannot know what
outcomes we will see, but we have every
reason to anticipate with pleasure their
quality and variety.
Artists have been issued with the same
size board and have been asked that the
portrait conforms to its area dimensions.
The work can be in any media and we
wonder how many artists might choose
to break through the surface or
assemble fixtures to bring the
piece forward into relief.
During the two weeks there
will be workshops and family
friendly activities and I will be
giving a talk on the evening of
the 30th when I shall be seek-ing
to draw parallels between
the self-portraits on show and
famous examples from the past. I
will include mention of the work
of the Portuguese artist Helena
Almeida and the artist from the
Jenni Dutton
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8
Annual Ken Grieb Open Art Lecture
SAGT presents an illustrated talk by Julian Halsby on Bonnard
Art historian and critic Julian Halsby will be delivering an illustrated talk on French Painter and printmaker Pierre Bonnard.
Halsby, who remains a practising artist, is an accredited lecturer with the National Association of Decorative Fine Art Societies
(NADFAS) and has a life-long passion for art history.
The open art lecture is presented by SAGT and will be held at the
Somerset College Conference Centre on 11 October 2014, from 11am
– 1pm. The Conference Centre is accessible to all, with parking avail-able.
Light refreshments will be provided for all attendees.
Tickets are priced at £7 for SAGT members, £10 for non-members
and £5 for students. To book and pay for your tickets, please call the
Box Office on 01823 366 598.
Saturday 11 October 2014 / 11am - 1pm
Taunton Conference Centre
Somerset College, Wellington Road TA1 5AX
£7 SAGT member / £10 non-members / £5 students
Box Office – 01823 366 598
17th Century with the comedy name
Johannes Gumpp: worth a “search” if
you are not familiar with his wonder-fully
complex and fascinating picture.
When we look at a self- portrait we
think we occupy the same space
before the canvas as the artist did to
paint the image: we find ourselves
looking back into the eyes of the
artist.
Andrew Davey
East Quay, Watchet, Somerset TA23
0AQ 07799 260854
CONTAINS ART
“Making an Exhibition of Ourselves”
(curated by Mike Bradshaw, Lorna Bryce, Sue Lowe
and Andrew Davey)
Bonnard’s Nude in bath with small dog
Andy Davey

9. 9

10. 10

11. Hans Scwarz: enhancer of British Culture
who never forgot his European roots
This October the long established Lynda Cotton Gallery in Watchet is putting on a major
exhibition of the painter, Hans Schwarz, noted, in particular, for his portraits which ap-pear
in many national collections and who kept a house in Somerset. Accompanying the
exhibition will be a biography by Paul Upton, a friend who gives a brief introduction to
Scwarz’s remarkable life and achievements and explains how through his own friendship
and that of Nick Cotton with the artist, the exhibition has come to be.
Hans was born in Vienna in December
1922, the only child of Viktor and Emilie
Schwarz. Viktor, had fought in the Aus-tro-
11
Hungarian army in the First World
War, but at the time of Hans’ birth he
was a bank clerk. Hans’ early days were
comfortable and happy, but two events
changed the course of his life. His mother
died when he was only twelve years old,
and then, in 1937, Nazi Germany an-nexed
Austria and it became part of the
Third Reich (the Anschluss). Hans had
started training at the Viennese School
of Arts and Crafts at fourteen, but he
was forced to leave because of his Jewish
blood. In 1938, after Kristallnacht (Night
of the Broken Glass), the British govern-ment
was petitioned by charitable organ-isations
to allow temporary admission of
Jewish children - a process that became
known as Kindertransports. Viktor man-aged
to secure a place for Hans on a train
out of the country sponsored by the So-ciety
of Friends and the Cadbury family.
He left his father, never to see him again.
Hans was provided with accommodation
and a job at the Bournville factory in Bir-mingham.
He quickly showed industry
and talent which was recognised and en-couraged
by his employers.
In 1940 the British government ordered
the internment of all those termed enemy
aliens between the ages of 16 and 70, and
Hans was forced to go to a series of in-ternment
camps. On his release in 1941,
he returned to Birmingham, and started
training at the Birmingham School of
Arts and Crafts. After graduation in 1943
he worked as a commercial illustrator and
graphic designer and taught part-time at
various art colleges whilst he built up his
own artistic body of work. He married
his wife Lena in 1944. They lived in Hale-sowen
Self portrait; Oil on board; 58 x 53 cm. Hans Schwarz Studio Collection
and they had two sons, Stephen
and Julian. In 1953 they moved to Wim-bledon
and then Hampstead in London,
living and working alongside a commu-nity
of other artists, many of which, like
Hans, were European émigrés. By 1964, he
was able to give up his commercial work
and concentrate on painting and sculp-ture
full-time. They bought a house in
Stogursey, right next to St Andrew’s Well.
They lived there full-time for a few years
and then moved back to London, keeping
the Stogursey house for frequent visits un-til
Hans’ death in 2003. During the 40 year
period, Hans did a vast number of paint-ings
of people and places in Somerset. He
made close friends in the area, most no-tably
Watchet’s gallery owner and artist,
Nick Cotton.
Although Hans painted a wide variety of
subjects he was most famous as a por-traitist
and there are paintings in many
public galleries, most notably the Nation-al
Portrait gallery which has his portraits
of Nikolaus Pevsner, Bruce Kent and the
trades union leaders Tom Jackson, Sid
Weighell and Joe Gormley He painted
numerous actors and celebrities includ-ing
Sian Phillips, Janet Suzman, Robert
Carrier, Peggy Ashcroft, Clive Swift, Ivor
Cutler and many others. He was also a
sculptor and author of several books on
drawing and painting which were trans-

12. lated into several languages and sold
around the world. Hans was amazingly
prolific – he could not allow a day to
pass without painting.
After Hans’ death, his sons needed to
dispose of the vast quantity of paint-ings,
12
sculptures and other archival
material. They gave a large bequest to
the University of Birmingham and the
remainder they offered to Nick Cot-ton.
His friend Paul Upton provided a
home for the collection. As Paul made
provision for its storage and began to
catalogue the work he become more
impressed and fascinated by what he
saw. Nick had known Hans for nearly
forty years and was very familiar with
his work. Nick and Paul decided to
have a major exhibition of Hans’ work
at The Lynda Cotton Gallery in Oc-tober
2014 and Paul would write two
books to accompany the exhibition.
The first, Hans Schwarz, a biography of
the artist published by Sansom & Co, is
to be launched at the National Portrait
gallery just prior to the exhibition and
their will be an illustrated talk at the
Taunton Literary festival in November
following the exhibition at the Lynda
Cotton Gallery in October. The second
book, Hans Schwarz in Somerset will
be launched at the exhibition.
The exhibition will consist of paintings
and other works from the whole of Hans
Schwarz’s life, from his early sombre
landscapes in oils to his bright waterc-olour
scenes, and including portraits of
the famous and not-so-famous. Many
paintings are of the people and places
that he loved whilst in Somerset. Most
will be for sale. This will be the first ex-hibition
to represent the whole of this
important artist’s life’s work and will be
of interest to a national audience.
Hans Schwarz kept no diaries or jour-nals
and wrote little so, for the biogra-phy,
Paul has had to research material
from a wide range of sources including
the archive at Birmingham University,
from Hans’ sons Stephen and Julian,
from material that Nick Cotton had col-lected
and from interviews with those
who knew him. This is the first biogra-phy
to have been written about this im-portant
artist.
In Hans Schwarz in Somerset, Paul takes
a more informal approach, focusing
on some of the people and places that
Hand knew in Somerset, particularly
Stogursey, Kilve & Lilstock, Watchet &
Williton, and the Quantock Hills. The
book is on full-colour, illustrated with a
large number of Hans’ paintings.
Janet Suzman; 1985; Watercolour on paper.
University of Birmingham Research & Cultural
Collections
Hans Schwarz Exhibtion
The Linda CottonGallery
46/47 Swain Street, Watchet TA23 OAG
01984 6314814
www.lyndacottongallery.co.uk
13 - 26 October 2014
Book Talk and slideshow at Brendon
8.00 pm Books Wednesday 26 Nov
Old Brewery Buildings, Bath Place,
Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
www.tauntonliteraryfestival.net
The two biographies, Hans Schwarz,
the biography and Hans Scwarz in Som-erset
will be available from Lynda Cot-ton
Gallery and Brendon Books.
Kilve Beach; ; Oil on Board; 69 X 92 cm. Hans Schwarz Studio Collection

13. 13
Yarn Market Hotel
Friday 28th – Sunday 30th November
Residential from £190 per person full
board. All music and tuition included.
Leader: Ian Chesworth, professional
Singing Coach and Choral Director, who
teaches in Manchester and has worked
with Gareth Malone on BBC The Choir
series. Ian now conducts three work-place
choirs, and has also worked with the Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic on their Supers-ing
series. Repertoire: European Sacred
music for Advent and Christmas.
Venue: Dunster in Exmoor – resident
at the Yarn Market Hotel, singing in the
beautifully restored village Tithe Barn.
Bishops Lydeard Papershop
The Paper Shop is a friendly village
shop with local knowledgeable staff.
We are a Newsagent and we stock a
vast range of magazines. We can order
any special interest titles and deliver
them to you or save them in the shop
for collection.

14. 14

15. 15
Now four years young, @2K Theatre (the
name is taken from the amount of money
that was required to fund its set-up), is to per-form
it at Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre.
‘We needed to keep up the momentum and
find the right play following the success of
“Allo, Allo’”, recalls chairman David Northey.
‘We choose to stage ‘Ab-igail’s Party’, another
television play with Alison Steadman which
has a cult following. We booked again for
May of this year at the Tacchi-Morris Arts
Centre and rehearsals commenced. The set
was prepared and we scoured the land for
anything that resembled the 1970’s, from a
leather sofa from the Rhondda Valley to wall
paper, costumes and records. It was a fabu-lous
show and we again received rave reviews
from our audiences and the two show critics
from Rose Bowl and Somerset Fellowship
of Drama, along with our local and national
NODA reps.
‘It is only now that it feels like we are well on
the journey, and our next production is well
underway with a fabulous cast for the hilari-ous
comedy ‘Habeas Corpus’ by Alan Bennett.
The challenge of finding the right play for our
audience, cast and critics is difficult because
you are only as good as your last production.
We believe this is a real cracker and feedback
to date has been tremendous, not only from
members of the group, but the team at the
Tacchi-Morris, who have been extremely sup-portive
to our group and have helped to raise
our profile. So we wait and see what happens
in late September as the doors open for an-other
@2K production. Will people like it? I
think they will, but I am biased I suppose. You
will only know if you come along.
‘The aim of our group is to get people in-volved
so they feel they are part of decision
making. We believe it is very important to feel
that you are adding something to the group
and we always welcome new members. We
are already thinking about next year’s pro-duction
and have booked the Tacchi-Morris
in May 2015. So what will our next show be?
Maybe a Restoration Comedy or a dark thrill-er.
Watch this space!’
Habeas Corpus
Mismanaged lust, mistaken identity and dropped trousers..‘Habeas Corpus’ has all the ingredients
of a classic farce, spiced with the warmth and humanity of Alan Bennett’s razor-sharp wit. Written
by Alan Bennett, it was first performed at the Lyric Theatre on 10 May 1973 when Alec Guinness and
Margaret Courtenay took the leading roles.
Scenes from rehearsals for Habeas Corpus
If you would like to join @2K group either acting, backstage, lighting, front
of house, publicity etc then please contact membership Secretary Nikki
Court (at2k@icloud.com) who would love to hear from you.
Come and see Habeas Corpus performed by @2k Theatre
Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th at 7.30 pm
There will also be a Saturday matinee at 2.00 pm
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Monkton Heathfield,
Taunton TA2 8PD Box Office: 01823 41 41 27
email: info@tacchi-morris.com

16. Come and Sing
With the Phoenix Singers
THE PHOENIX SINGERS,
one of Somerset’s most
respected choral groups, is
offering local singers the
chance to join them for a
day of singing.
The ambitious mixed-voice choir, which
has around 25 members, is inviting sing-ers
16
to a ‘Come and Sing Day’ in Taunton
on Saturday, September 6th.
Phoenix music director Andrew Mad-docks
said: “Our concert repertoire is
wide-ranging with an eclectic approach
to styles and periods of choral music.
We are warmly inviting all singers with
choral experience to take part in an open
rehearsal of small choir gems, some of
which we will be singing at our next
concert. There will be no pressure to
join the choir, but I believe once visiting
singers experience the friendly, but fo-cused
approach to Phoenix rehearsals for
themselves, they may well wish to be part
of our group.”
The Phoenix Singers conducted by Andrew Maddocks
The Phoenix normally gives up to five
concerts every year, as well as other en-gagements
by invitation. Rehearsals take
place in Taunton on Tuesday evenings.
This year’s autumn concert on Sunday
October 12th at 3pm in the beautiful
setting of the Priory Church of St An-drew,
Stogursey, is entitled ‘A Farewell
to Peace’. The music in the programme
will reflect on the year 1914 in Britain
and feature the poetry of Edward Thomas
who died in battle in 1917. The outstand-ing
Wells-based cellist, Amy Jolly, will be
the guest soloist.
The ‘Come and Sing Day’ takes place at
Temple Methodist Church, Upper High
Street, Taunton TA1 3PY between 10am -
4.45pm. Ring Andrew on 01823 252658,
Tesh on 01823 432704, Frances on 07970
710056, or visit www.thephoenixsingers.
Ranulph Fiennes Book Signing at Brendon Books
Wednesday 22 October 6.30 - 7.30
There will be an opportunity to meet Ranulph Fiennes, buy a copy of his book and get it signed.
Though it is not absolutely necessary to book a place it is useful if you can let us know that you are
coming and we can reserve books to avoid disappointment. Contact details.Brendon Books, Bath
Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742 email: brendonbook@gmail.com . Also see autumn author
talks (page 2) and the Taunton Literary Festival cenbtral pull-out (from page 25).
On 25th October 1415, on a French hillside near the village of Agincourt, four men sheltered from
the rain and prepared for battle. All four were English knights, ancestors of Sir Ranulph Fiennes,
and part of the army of England’s King Henry V. Across the valley, four sons of the French arm of
the Fiennes family were confident that the Dauphin’s army would win the day...
600 years after the Battle of Agincourt, Sir Ranulph Fiennes casts new light on this epic event that
has resonated throughout British and French history. He explains how his own ancestors were key
players through the centuries of turbulent Anglo-French history that led up to Agincourt, and he
uses his experience as expedition leader and soldier to give us a fresh perspective on one of the bloodiest periods of medieval
history.

17. 17

18. 18
Jane Gotto, UKCP Reg. Psychotherapist
and Founder of The Terrace.
The Terrace helping people to feel better,
to grow and to change
The Terrace is celebrating twenty years as Somerset’s centre of excellence for talking
therapies. Since 1994, the centre has grown to a team of over twenty therapists, all with
nationally respected professional credentials and years of experience.
In these twenty years the counselling and psychotherapy industry has become
more structured and people’s confidence has grown as positive research evidence
has emerged. This coupled with people’s own success using ‘talking therapies’
has created genuine interest and demand.
Jane Gotto, founder director, says “In twenty years we’ve witnessed changing times and
supported people through those changes: lives are lived at a faster and more pres-surised
pace; social media has expanded people’s peer groups but reduced face-to-face
contact failing to satisfy the deep-seated human need of ‘belonging’; issues around
couples, teenagers and children have grown; as has the public’s positive attitude to
seeking help, recognising the benefits of support from outside family
and friends.”
Some of the key issues addressed in counselling and psychotherapy are supporting
people managing their emotions (anger, jealousy, grief, shame, anxiety, depression),
addictions (drink, drugs, sexual issues), relationships (conflict, intimacy, sexual-ity,
parenting/step-parenting, communication) and self-worth (eating disorders,
self-harming, binge drinking).
The Terrace is opening their doors for informal - confidential - conversations and are
offering full sessions at reduced rates, for anyone who has thought about counselling
but not known how to go about it or where to start? Please phone 01823 338968 or
email post@the-terrace.co.uk to arrange a chat, to book a session, or find out more.

19. POSTER POWER: PROPAGANDA AND PROTEST
19
A striking exhibition of orig-inal
political propaganda and
protest posters from around the
world comes to Contains Art in
September.
The propaganda posters from
the former Soviet Union and
Communist China date from
the 1940s through to the 1980s.
What started as a birthday gift
of a poster of a Chinese gym-nast
grew into an impressive
collection of propaganda and
protest posters from around the
World, owned, and now to be
exhibited by collector Mickey
Green.
They feature powerful images
designed to inspire, influence
and control – be they exhorting
ever greater grain production
or world peace. By contrast the
protest posters seek to disrupt
or counter government lines.
These highly collectible and
graphically striking social re-cords
reflect the tumultuous so-cial
and political context of the
twentieth century, in a mass-ap-
peal but fragile form. The posters will be
on show and available to purchase from
Wednesday 3rd September until Sunday
14th September.
The exhibition includes a 1946 poster
from Siberia, examples of classic Soviet
socialist realism, and posters from the
Chinese cultural revolution and four
modernisations eras. Whilst most of
their power is in their imagery who can
resist slogans such as ‘women hold up
half the sky, surely the face of nature
can be transformed’? Eschewing posters
which focus on the cults of personality
of Mao, Lenin and Stalin, the exhibition
instead explores how propaganda post-ers
changed over time – both artistically
and in the messages they presented.
The protest posters include work by the
politic artist Ken Sprague, and focus on
subjects as diverse as the struggle for
land in Paraguay and the trade
union movement in South Africa.
Posters are first and foremost
tools for persuasion. To create
mass appeal they need to be visu-ally
arresting and get their message
across quickly, simply and clearly.
They both borrow from existing
artistic traditions and create graph-ic
trends of their own. Through
the messages they portray they
reflect many of the key moments
of the twentieth century. Whilst
in the main they were ephemeral,
and often printed in thousands
at the time, in recent years they
have become highly collectable,
with Russian and latterly Chinese
posters starting to feature regularly
at major auction houses.
The Poster Power: Propagan-da
and Protest exhibition runs
from 3rd – 14th September open
Wednesdays – Sundays, 11am –
4pm at Contains Art, East Quay,
Watchet Somerset TA23 0AQ. For
more information:: www.con-tainsart.
co.uk or contact Jessica-
Prendergrast, 07799 260854 jess@
containsart.co.uk .
1970s Chinese Poster: ‘Fully Support Agricultural Industry’
1973 Soviet Poster: “Be Vigilant at Work!”
Undated Paraquayan Poster:
“The struggle for land”.

20. I Wants to Make Your Flesh Creep!
The Haunting
In an ancient, crumbling mansion,
sheltering from the howling winds
that tear across the surrounding des-olate
20
moorland, two men stumble
across a dark and terrifying secret
that will change their lives forever…
The Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster are
to put on Hugh Janes’ play which is
based on several of the ghosts stories of
Charles Dickens combined with a fam-ily
story of an antiqurian book dealer
uncle who saw a ghostly vision while
examining some books in the cellar of
an old Sussex manor.
Dickens had an interest in ghosts sto-ries
emanating from his childhood
and was one of the earliest members
of the Ghost Club which was found-ed
in London in 1862. Whether or nor
he ultimately believed in ghosts or not
(he exposed several fake mediums in
his magazines), he did believe in mes-merism
(healing by putting others into
a hypnotic trance), was himself a ma-gician
and certainly believed in their
power and effect within a story.
The Fat Boy in The Pickwick Papers,
Dickens first novel, says ‘I wants to
make your flesh creep’ and, in fact,
there are five ghostly tales within that
one book. Ghosts stories are also a fea-ture
of several of his other novels and
in Nicholas Nickleby ‘The Baron of
Grogzwig’ from chapter six has taken
on a life of its own as a separate ghost
story. There are also, of course, sever-al
standalone ghostly tales of which the
Signalman and A Christmas Carol are
two of the best known.
In The Haunting, David
Filde is employed to cata-logue
a large library with-in
an old mansion and
finds an incredible array
of rare books. But as a se-ries
of strange and unexplained events
conspires to keep Filde from his work,
he realises that if he is to convince his
sceptical employer that the mysterious
phenomena he is experiencing are real,
they must journey together to the very
edge of terror to discover the source of
the terrifying visitations. Drawing sim-ilarities
to “the women in black”. The
Haunting is a classic tale of terror that
mixes together all the essential ingredi-ents
of the great Victorian ghost stories
to thrilling and macabre effect.
Following the Haunting on 20 Septem-ber
is Poppies and Proms, two concerts
featuring the award winning Taunton
Concert Band, under the direction of
Martin Wills. The first half, to be in
commemoration of the First World
War. After the interval the Band will
launch into music associated with the
Last Night of The Proms. Flag waving
and audience participation will be en-couraged.
At the end of October there is anoth-er
book theme when the Warehouse
Theatre presents the comedy Move
Over Mrs Markham. Philip Markham, a
publisher of children’s books, is asked by
his business partner, Henry Lodge, if he can
borrow the flat for the evening to gallivant
with his latest girlfriend. As Philip and his
wife will be out, he reluctantly agrees. At
the same time, Joanna Markham is being
persuaded by Linda Lodge to let her borrow
the empty flat in order to entertain her lov-er.
With some misgivings, Joanna agrees.
What nobody knows is that the interior de-signer
who has been decorating the flat for
the past three months has decided that this is
the night that he and the au pair girl will try
out the new oval bed. When the Markhams’
evening out is cancelled, it is too late to let
any of the parties know and three sets of
hopeful lovers all converge on the bedroom
at the same time. The situation is further
complicated by the arrival of Olive Har-riet
Smythe, a straight-laced authoress of
children’s books. The frantic efforts of the
Markhams to hide the amorous goings-on
and, at the same time sign up Miss Smythe,
lead to a hectic and hilarious evening.
See the full autumn programme on the fol-lowing
page.

21. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact: Hestercombe Gardens Project,
Hestercombe, Hestercombe Gardens,
Taunton TA2 8LG Phone:01823 413923
21
Appeal from The Warehouse Theatre
for volunteers
“Now that the nights are drawing in
why not volunteer time at the theatre?
Come and join in, make new friends
and become part of the busy team
whilst giving just the time you want.
Even sweeping the stage can make a
difference! We are always looking
for people who can offer time during
the day once a week to help with stage
sets, design, props, painting, wardrobe,
lights and sound. Or performance eve-nings
to ‘meet and greet’ in the foyer,
selling coffees and ice creams. Come
along to a Social Evening in our bar or
call The Warehouse Theatre for more
details on 07943 779880.”
Autumn Program at Warehouse Theatre Ilminster., Brewery
Lane, Ilminster, TA19 9AD
Tickets for theatre: 07943 779880 or from Lanes Garden Shop, Silver St, Ilminster. For other ticket events see event
listings below.
10 - 13th September IES present “The Haunting” By Hugh Janes after Charles Dickens, drama 7:30 pm at The Warehouse
Theatre, Ilminster. Tickets £8.50, £7.50, £7 child 18th September 7:30pm - members social evening
19th September 7:30 pm Cinema Club at The Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster - “Nebraska” £3.50 non members
tel: 01460 52285 ROAR
20th September: IES present “Poppies and Proms” with Taunton Concert Band - Remembrance, flag waving and Song at The
Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster - Matinee 3pm £5, 7:30pm £9, £8, £7 child
27th September Easy Life Theatre Company, “Charity Fund Raiser”, at The Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster. £25 per head,
Gala evening from 6.30 pm, pre-show reception, canapes, draw evening with London singers and international dancers tel:
01460 249753 for availability.
10th October 7.30 pm - David Carrick plays James Taylor
11th October 7:30 pm Cinema Club at The Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster - “Wadjda” £3.50 non members,
tel: 01460 52285 ROAR
16th October 7:30 pm - members social evening
29th October - 1st November: IES present “Move Over Mrs Markham” by Ray Cooney, farce 7:30pm at The Warehouse
Theatre, Ilminster. Tickets £8.50, £7.50, £7 child
Oceans exhibition
featuring the world’s seas
at Hestercombe oct 11 2014 to jan
2015
Oceans, presents a selection of Tania Kovacks her work made between
1993 and 2014 and originally organised and presented by The Fruitmarket
Gallery, Edinburgh. Alongside this show Kovats will create a brand new
piece created especially for Hestercombe.
All the Sea (2012–14), is a work made from sea water collected from
around the world and decanted into 365 glass bottles. All the Sea takes
the form of a library of water, from the Adriatic to the Yellow Sea. It also
represents an archive of moments in time, recordings of 250 human
experiences with – and most probably in – the sea, capturing in bottles a
All The Sea
substance that otherwise slips through our fingers.
courtesy Fruitmarket Gallery,
The exhibition also includes a series of drawings. As Kovats writes,

22. Frost at Midnight
For the last two years the Thespians
have performed an original piece
of theatre at Samuel Taylor Col-eridge's
cottage in Nether Stowey
based on episodes from the life of
the poet, his family and friends. The
script, written by Tony Leach, was
entitled Frost At Midnight after one
of STC's poems. On Friday 12th
and Saturday 13th September, the
Taunton Thespians will be per-forming
Frost at Midnight at their
premises in Wilfred Road, Taunton.
Details at http://www.tauntonthespi-ans.
org.uk/
The Taunton Thespians return to The Brewhouse on the
18th November with an Agatha Christie play, Murder on
the Nile.
Simon Mostyn has recently married Kay Ridgeway a
rich woman, having thrown over his former lover Jac-queline.
The couple are on their honeymoon on a paddle
steamer on the Nile, accompanied by a bevy of memora-ble
characters. Among those present are Canon Penne-father,
Kay’s guardian, and Jacqueline, who has been
dogging their footsteps all through the honeymoon. As
can be imagined, fatal circumstances await the couple....
Murder on the Nile as a play had an interesting history in
that it is based on the book of the same name which was
published in 1937, which, however, began life as a play
called Moon on the Nile. It premiered at the Dundee Rep-ertory
Theatre in Januray 1944 and opened in the West
End at the Ambassadors Theatre in March 1946 six years
before the Mousetrap was first performed.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
India – Land of Wonders: Talk at Dillington House by Brian Anderson
When Marco Polo visited India in the thirteenth century, he described the country as “the richest province in the world …
a land of wonders”. His observation is no less true today as everything about India is older, bigger, more colourful, more
diverse and more intriguing than anywhere else. India is often mistaken as a continent because of her varied characteristics.
A vast country, with a population over 1.2 billion, India boasts a history that goes back five thousand years. In this richly
illustrated talk, photographer, lecturer and adventurer, Brian Anderson, will share his images from three visits to this most
remarkable country, which give a flavour of India’s huge diversity; her people of different castes and creeds, rich cultural
heritage, colourful wildlife, her monumental architecture and stunning landscapes.
Dillington House, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 9DT Tel: 01460 258 648
Sunday 19 October 2.30pm Tickets £12 including tea and cake Pre-booked lunches available at £17

23. 23
The Phoenix Singers
Come and Sing Day!
An open rehearsal for singers
Saturday 6th September 10.00 - 16.45
Temple Methodist Church, Taunton
To find out more and register
visit www.thephoenixsingers.co.uk or phone 01823 252658
...................................
A Farewell to Peace
The Year 1914
Sunday 12th October 15.00
St. Andrew’s Church, Stogursey
Choral music and the poetry of Edward Thomas
Visit www.thephoenixsingers.co.uk
DILLINGTON HOUSE
Dillington House has been involved in adult learning
and running adult education courses in Somerset since
1950.
An ever-changing adult education programme includes
a vast array of practical and academic subjects. For
most courses, there is no minimum entry requirement -
all that’s needed is an enthusiasm for the subject. Please
see the Workshop and Listings Section for a full list of
courses and please note, there are places available for
non residents on all residential courses.
Dillington House, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 9DT
01460 258622 www.dillington.com

24. 24
WRITING RETREATS
AT DUNSTER TITHE BARN
For those who long to write creatively. For writers
in need of peace, support and solitude.
To include inspirational talk by experienced creatives.
Quiet and supportive solitude for writing Sharing of
creative accomplishments Cost £40.00, £35 when quot-ing
LAMP or for group bookings. A series of motiva-tions
for writing will be forwarded on booking.
For joining instructions and further information
Contact Elaine Necchi on 01984 640 020
or email info@kyphiwellbeing.com
Are you longing to write but never find the time? Life just
too busy for the creative spark to ignite? Spend an idyllic
day at the Tithe Barn in Dunster and allow your creative
juices to flow. Restore peace and harmony to mind and
body and share the quiet company of other writing lovers.
Each month we offer a day of creativity for those who are
blocked, stressed, bemused or frustrated with the never-end-ing
calls of duty and commitment. Come to the Writing
Retreat hosted by Elaine Necchi and Gemma Bush, leave
the world behind and make the space for your own creative
path. Each retreat will begin with creative inspiration from
a professional creative; from journalists, song writers, pub-lishers,
novelists, poets. Whatever your chosen genre, open
your potential to all forms of writing. You never know what
may follow.
The morning will be spent in quiet writing in safe and
relaxed surroundings with plenty of space to write, space to
move and large windows to gaze through for inspiration.
Lunch can be taken between 12.00 and 1.00 either within
the barn or from local cafes. The afternoon will continue
with more writing and time to share ideas and readings
for those who wish to. A deposit of £10.00 will secure your
place with the remainder payable a week before each re-treat.
Light refreshments provided. 10.00 – 3.00.
Preparation for writing and inspiration will be forwarded on
booking.

25. 25
Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Fri 7 November Festival ‘Curtain Raiser’, an interview with Rachel Joyce at Brendon Books
7.00pm Rachel Joyce The Love Song of Queenie Hennesey £6.50
When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her,
and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she
wait?A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she
must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find
atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, ‘Even though you’ve done your travelling,
you’re starting a new journey too.’ Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story.
She was wrong. It was the beginning. Told in simple, emotionally-honest prose, with a mischie-vous
bite, this is a novel about the journey we all must take to learn who we are; it is about loving
and letting go.
Sat 8 November
10am - 3pm Book Fair Self Publishing Book Fair St James Church Free Entry
Promoting Literacy & the Visual Arts. A one day special event that launches this years TAUNTON
LITERARY FESTIVAL. Spotlighting writers, artists & small press comics and much more! Tables
are NOW bookable please email comicexpo@hotmail.co.uk for availability. Interactive programme,
café and free comics! In association with BRENDON BOOKS of Bath Place. Check us out on Face
Book https://www.facebook.com/events/308308539328816/
6.30 pm Mark Kitto That’s China Brendon Books £6.50
To the Chinese Communist Party, media is state owned propaganda. No indiviudals, let alone
foreigners, will ever have a stake in it. For seven roller coaster years, Mark Kitto outwitted powerful
competitors and jealous partners to build the most profitable and popular English language publish-ing
business in China since 1949. No foreigner in modern times has come so close to the heart of the
Chinese propaganda macbine in its own terms. Not even Rupert. Told with Mark Kitto’s trademark
self-deprecating humour and potentially unsettling honesty, a business saga that will have you on the
edge of your seat all the way down to the final showdown; in the highest law court in China.
Mon 10 November
6.00 pm Susie Barrett The Upper Culm Valley Brendon Books £5.00
This 180-page book presents the Great War in the context of its impact on life in Clayhidon, Hemyock and Culmstock.
Besides describing the military background, it records the service and family life of those who served and returned, as
well as those who lost their lives. Their memory is honoured in this community work, which is fully illustrated with
reproductions of photographs taken at the time. A fully illustrated book researched, compiled and written by
present day inhabitants of the valley and relations of those who served. The talk will include the work of editing and
putting the book together for publication. The book is published by Hemyock History and Archiving Association.
8.00 pm Tom Moran Dinosaurs & Prime Numbers Brendon Books £5.00
Tom Moran is a novelist, scriptwriter and comedian. Born and raised in Devon, Tom attended
Colyton Grammar School and Wellington School before attending the University of East Anglia,
where he received a first class degree from the prestigious School of Creative Writing. His first
novel, Dinosaurs and Prime Numbers, is a genre-defying time-travel comedy which tells the story
of Walton Cumberfield, a socially-inept oddball, who discovers a cow in Budleigh Salterton that is
independent of the space-time continuum. In June 2014, the novel became the first ever recipient of
The Guardian Legend Self-Published Book of the Month award and has captured the imagination of
readers around the world.

26. Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Tue 11 November
11.30 am David Mirchell The Bone Clocks The Castle Hotel £10.00
26
Metaphysical thriller, meditation on mortality and chronicle of our self-devouring times, this is
the kaleidoscopic new novel from the author of Cloud Atlas, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
2014. One drowsy summer’s day in 1984, teenage runaway Holly Sykes encounters a strange
woman who offers a small kindness in exchange for ‘asylum’. Decades will pass before Holly
understands exactly what sort of asylum the woman was seeking ...The Bone Clocks follows the
twists and turns of Holly’s life from a scarred adolescence in Gravesend to old age on Ireland’s
Atlantic coast as Europe’s oil supply dries up. There will be an opportunity at this event to have
lunch at The Castle Hotel in the company of the author after the talk and signing. This includes
the price of the ticket for the talk. For this option please contact the Castle Hotel for tickets.
01823 272671 or www.the-castle-hotel.com
7.00 pm Suzie Grogan Shell Shocked Britain Brendon Books £6.50
Shell Shocked Britain looks at the impact of the First World War on the men, women and
children who survived it. How did those four years of conflict affect the way we view the mental
health of those traumatised by their experience of war, whether directly or indirectly? Suzie
Grogan was inspired to write this book when she discovered that her shell shocked great-uncle
Alfred Hardiman had killed his ex-girlfriend and himself in 1922. His act sent shock waves
through his community and through the generations of his own family, but it was not an isolated
case. Troops in the trenches endured mud, blood and bombardment. Their families on the
Home Front experienced fear, grief at bereavement and the anxieties caused by their first experi-ence
of war from the air and the outbreak of Spanish influenza.
Wed 12 November
11.30am Jonathan Miller 60 Years of Writing The Castle Hotel £10.00
Actor, doctor, TV presenter, film director, opera director, sculptor - Sir Jonathan Miller’s careers
cover a vast range. He is also a gifted and insightful writer, but his writings have been scattered across
a series of books and articles over the last sixty years. This selection gives an idea of the depth and
variety of his preoccupations, from mesmerism to neurology, film and theatre to art history and
technique, parody to reportage. Each extract has an introduction by Miller, setting it in the context
of his interests in the arts and sciences. With wit and perception, Miller casts light on many aspects
of the world which we take for granted, and illuminates them with original insights. There will be an
opportunity at this event to have lunch at The Castle Hotel in the company of the author after the talk
and signing. This includes the price of the ticket for the talk. For this option please contact the Castle
Hotel for tickets. 01823 272671 or www.the-castle-hotel.com
6.00 pm Antony Sattin Young Lawrence Brendon Books £6.50
T. E. Lawrence was one of the most charismatic characters of the First World War; a young archaeol-ogist
who fought with the Arabs and wrote an epic and very personal account of their revolt against
the Turks in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Yet this was not the first book to carry that iconic title. In 1914
the man who would become Lawrence of Arabia burnt the first Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a manu-script
in which he described his adventures in the Middle East during the five years before the war.
Anthony Sattin uncovers the story Lawrence wanted to conceal: the truth of his birth, his tortuous
relationship with a dominant mother, his deep affection for an Arab boy, the intimate details of the
extraordinary journeys he took through the region with which his name is forever connected
7.30 pm Ned Lebow A World Without WW1 Queen’s College £2.00 (Pay on door)
The “Great War” claimed nearly 40 million lives and set the stage for World War II, the Holocaust,
and the Cold War. One hundred years later, historians are beginning to recognize how unnecessary
it was. In Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives!, acclaimed political psychologist Richard Ned Lebow
examines the chain of events that led to war and what could reasonably have been done differently
to avoid it. In this highly original and intellectually challenging book, he constructs plausible worlds,
some better, some worse, that might have developed.

27. 27
Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Thu 13 November
6.00 pm Alexander Waugh Shakespeare Beyond Doubt? Brendon Books £5.00
The Book the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Doesn’t Want You to Read: Shakespeare Be-yond
Doubt? Never,it claims, has the case against the Stratford man been made so clear and
compelling. Unsettled by the growing success of the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition and
its online Declaration of Reasonable Doubt About the Identity of William Shakespeare, the
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon has published a book insisting that the
identity of the author William Shakespeare is “beyond doubt. What do you think? Come and
hear the case against and pose your own questions.
7.30 pm Chris Jelley Art Talk Creative Inn. Centre Pay on door
Fri 14 November
6.00 pm Paula Byrne Belle: The True Story Brendon Books £6.50
In one of the most famous portraits in the world, a pretty girl walks through the grounds of Ken-wood
House, a vision of aristocratic refinement. But the eye is drawn to the beautiful woman on
her right. Pointing at her own cheek, she playfully acknowledges her remarkable position in eigh-teenth-
century society. For Dido Belle was the illegitimate, mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy
captain and a slave woman, adopted by the Earl of Mansfield. As Lord Chief Justice of England he
would preside over the notorious Zong case - the drowning of 142 slaves by an unscrupulous ship-ping
company. His ruling provided the legal underpinning to the abolition of slavery in Britain.
8.00 pm David Marsh For Who the Bell Tolls Brendon Books £6.50
This is a book that explains the grammar that people really need to know, such as the fact that an
apostrophe is the difference between a company that knows its s*** and a company that knows it’s
s***, or the importance of capital letters to avoid ambiguity in such sentences as “I helped my Uncle
Jack off his horse.” David Marsh’s lifelong mission has been to create order out of chaos. For four
decades, he has worked for newspapers, from the Sun to the Financial Times, from local weeklies
that sold a few thousand copies to the Guardian, with its global readership of nine million, turning
the sow’s ear of rough-and-ready reportage into a passable imitation of a silk purse.
Sat 15 November
10.30 - 2.30 Shakespeare Aloud Twelfth Night The Library, Taunton Free
FREE event for visitors to join in with, or even just listen in to, as much of the play as they wish, from 5 minutes to 3 1/2 hours! - script
provided for all participants)
2.00 pm Aidan Dodson Egypt: Golden Age, Heresy & Reformation Queen’s College £6.50
Egypt: Golden Age, Heresy and Reformation (c. 1350-1300 BC)
During the 14th century BC, Egypt had reached the height of its wealth and power, con-trolling
much of what is now Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and north-western Syria, together with
vast swathes of northern Sudan. The kings of Egypt were members of a select club of rulers
who called each other ‘brother’ and presided over a high point of international culture. But in
the midst of all this, a king of Egypt attempted to set to nought millennia of religious tradition
by abolishing the entire Egyptian pantheon in favour of a single sun-god, the Aten.
4.00 pm Author Panel Writing Motherhood Queen’s College £5.00
Does motherhood impact on a woman’s creativity? How do female writers with
children manage to combine mothering and writing? Carolyn Jess-Cooke (author
of The Boy Who Could See Demons), Lily Dunn (author of Shadowing the Sun
and poet Kathryn Simmonds talk frankly about some the tensions surrounding
motherhood and writing. The eighth event in a series of twelve as part of Carolyn
Jess-Cooke’s Writing Motherhood project, funded by Arts Council England.
Chaired by Sineard Gillespie.

28. Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Sat 15 Nov (Cont’d)
7.00 pm William Philpott Attrition: Fighting WW1 Brendon Books £6.50
28
A masterful, provocative, deeply-researched examination of the Great War from one of our foremost
war historians, providing a much-needed corrective to the prevailing narrative of the twentieth century’s
epochal conflict. The meaning of the First World War was too big to be grasped by its participants.
Then the retelling and the myth-making began, the story told through the competing memories of
leaders and commanders and the anguished fiction of its combatants. Any sense of order and purpose,
effort and achievement was missing. Attrition strips away this agenda and analyses the war from a fresh
perspective. Drawing on the experience of front line soldiers, munitions workers, politicians and those
managing the vast economy of industrialised warfare, Attrition explains for the first time why and how
this new type of conflict born out of industrial society was fought as it was.
Mon 17 November
7.00 pm Graham Fawcett Seamus Heaney Brendon Books £10.00
After recent successes at Brendon Books with lectures on Neruda, Byron and Ted Hughes, Graham
Fawcett returns to talk about Seamus Heaney. Graham Fawcett reflects on the exhilarating range of
Heaney’s achievement over nearly fifty years, from his momentous poetic début in 1966 with Death
of A Naturalist, poems about his early life in rural Northern Ireland in which he sings with passion,
craft and clarity about the world within a world around him. When Graham Fawcett had the oppor-tunity
to meet Heaney in 2009 and happened to mention to him that the first reading course he gave
to Poetry School audiences in London from 1998 was called Heaney to Homer and Back, Heaney
said, ‘I’m glad you came back’.
Tue 18 November
6.00 pm Richard Smith The First Englishman to Fly Brendon Books £6.50
Comedian Richard O. Smith’s illustrated talk tells the story of James Sadler the first Englishman to fly
in The Man With His Head in the Clouds. Richard includes hilarious anecdotes on how he overcame
his aversion to heights by attempting to replicate the historic first flight. Richard scripted 2014 movie
The Unbeatables starring Rupert Grint and Rob Brydon. He writes for Radio 4’s The Now Show, The
News Quiz, and BBC2’s Dara O Briain’s Science Club. He’s a Chortle Comedy Award winner. His
books include Britain’s Most Eccentric Sports and Oxford Student Pranks . “A jam-packed jamboree
of jollity!” - Dr Lucy Worsley. “Very, very funny.” - Dr Phil Hammond. “Better than all 26 days of an
English cricket match. - Henning Wehn. £6.50
8.00 pm Sinclair McKay Dunkirk: Disaster to Deliverance Brendon Books £6.50
There is a wider story than the poliitcal one that involves a very large number of civilians - from
nurses to racing enthusiasts, trades union leaders to dance hall managers, novelists to seaside cafe
owners. And even wider yet, a story that starts in September 1939: of young civilian men being
trained for a war that was already 25 years out of date; and the increasing suspense - and occasion-al
surrealism - of the Phoney War. The ‘absurd epic’ of Dunkirk - told here through fresh inter-views
with veterans, plus unseen letters and archival material - is the story of how an old-fash-ioned
island was brutally forced into the modernity of World War Two.
Wed 19 November
6.00 pm Paul Atterbury WW1 in 100 Family Treasures Brendon Books £6.50
To mark the centenary of the start of World War I, the Antiques Roadshow team filmed a series of
specials at the Somme, where the public brought in their family’s war memorabilia and photographs.
These ‘antiques’ weren’t financially valuable, or in some cases even very beautiful, but the stories that
came attached to these momentoes were priceless. Antiques Roadshow: World War I in 100 Family
Treasures takes 100 of the most fascinating and moving stories and shows how they fit in to the wider
history that was occuring around them. From Rifleman Frank Edwards, who led the ‘big push’ in Sep-tember
1915 kicking a football in front of the troops (and survived to tell the tale) to the formidable
Catherine Murray Roy, one of the first 50 nurses to be sent to the front lines in France.

29. 29
Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Wed 19 November (Cont’d)
8.00 pm John Lanchester How to Speak Money Brendon Books £6.50
Money is our global language. Yet so few of us can speak it. The language of the economic elites can be
complex, jargon-filled and completely baffling. And we need to understand it because if we can’t, then the
elites will write their own rules. Now John Lanchester, bestselling author of Capital and Whoops!: Why
everyone owes everyone and no one can pay, sets out to decode it for all of us, explaining everything from
high-frequency trading and the World Bank to the difference between bullshit and nonsense. As funny as
it is devastating, How To Speak Money is a primer and a polemic. It’s a reference book you’ll find yourself
reading in one sitting. And it gives you everything you need to demystify the world of high fiannce - the
world that domi- nates how we all live now.
Thu 20 November
6.00 pm C. Simon Sykes Hockney: The Biography Brendon Books £6.50
Christopher Sykes explores the life and work of Britain’s most popular living artist. David Hockney’s
career has spanned and epitomised the art movements of the past five decades. Volume 1 covered his
early life: his precocious achievement at Bradford Art College and the Swinging 60s in London, where
he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the generation. Picking up Hockney’s story in 1975,
this volume finds him flitting between Notting Hill and California, where he took inspiration for the
swimming pool series of paintings; creating the acclaimed set designs for operas around the world; and
embracing emerging technologies - the camera and fax machine in the 1970s and 80s, and most recently
the iPad.
8.00 pm Jackie Moggridge Spitfire Girl Brendon Books £5.00
‘We had returned to a different world. We had taken off in peace at nine-thirty and landed in war at
noon.’ Jackie Moggridge was just nineteen when World War Two broke out. Determined to do her bit, she
joined the Air Transport Auxiliary. Ferrying aircraft from factory to front line was dangerous work, but
there was also fun, friendship and even love in the air. At last the world was opening up to women... or at
least it seemed to be. From her first flight at fifteen to smuggling Spitfires into Burma, Jackie describes the
trials and tribulations, successes and frustrations of her life in the sky. Her daughter, Candida. will give a
talk together with slides on her remarkable mother
Fri 21 November
6.00 Robert Kershaw 24 hours in Waterloo Brendon Books £6.50
The battle of Waterloo had all the drama and brutality of a nineteenth-century bare-knuckle prize fight. It
was a vicious fight to the finish between two evenly matched opponents. In 24 Hours at Waterloo, using
a plethora of previously unpublished eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, Robert Kershaw reveals
the soldier’s view of this iconic battle: how they felt, what they saw, what they smelt and what they heard
enduring this epic confrontation on Sunday 18 June 1815.Visceral and raw, this is Waterloo as you’ve
never experienced it before. Robert Kershaw is a former Para, having joined the Parachute Regiment in
1973, commanded 10 Para and left as a full Colonel in 2006. His active service includes tours in Northern
Ireland, the first Gulf War (during which he was awarded the US Bronze Star) and Bosnia.
7.30 Open Mic Evening St Michael’s Church, Taunton Free
“Expressions of Creativity” - “Open Mic’ @ St.Mikes” Following our exhibition two years ago, on the theme “Fruits
of the Earth”, designed to encourage personal creativity; this year we plan to host an “Open Mic” at St Michael’s
Church, Pitts Close, Galmington to provide a platform for creative writing and song.
We aim to provide a venue, a positive atmosphere and a microphone to share poetry, prose, musical creations and
maybe short stories. We would love to hear your contributions, but should there be too many, the organisers reserve
the right to select contributions. We believe that the members of a supportive audience is as important as those who
share. It will be on held on Saturday 15th November at 7.30pm, finishing at 10.00pm.

30. Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Sat 22 November
11.00 Katherine Reynolds Under the Rainbow Taunton Library Free
30
‘Red Tabby sat in the twilight, gazing across the familiar valley to the far hills. It was here that she and
Dylan had always taken their early morning gallop. It was here that their special friendship had always
felt the strongest. What might her life be like without that friendship? From being a pair of homeless
refugees on the run, they had since travelled a road to dazzling super-stardom. But would the cost of
that success be the loss of what was most dear to them?”
11.30 am Lucy Hughes-Hallett D.Annunzio The Castle Hotel £10.00
The story of Gabriele D’Annunzio, poet, daredevil – and Fascist. In September 1919 Gabriele D’An-nunzio,
successful poet and occasional politician, declared himself Commandante of the city of Fiume
in modern day Croatia. His intention – to establish a utopia based on his fascist and artistic ideals. It
was the dramatic pinnacle to an outrageous career. Lucy Hughes-Hallett charts the controversial life of
D’Annunzio, the debauched artist who became a national hero. Through his ideological journey, culmi-nating
in the failure of the Fiume endeavour, we witness the political turbulence of early 20th century
Europe and the emergence of fascism. Winner of the 2013 Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction and the
2013 Costa Award Biography of the Year. There will be an opportunity at this event to have lunch at The
Castle Hotel in the company of the author after the talk and signing. This includes the price of the ticket
for the talk. For this option please contact the Castle Hotel for tickets. 01823 272671 or www.the-cas-tle-
hotel.com
6.00 pm Alwyn Turner The Last Post: Music, Remberance and the Great Ward Brendon Books £6.50
At eleven o’clock on the morning of the 11th November 1919 the entire British Empire came to
a halt to remember the dead of the Great War. During that first two-minute silence all transport
stayed still, all work ceased and millions stood motionless in the streets. The only human sound to
be heard was the desolate weeping of those overcome by grief.Then the moment was brought to an
end by the playing of the Last Post.A century on, that lone bugle call remains the most emotionally
charged piece of music in public life. In an increasingly secular society, it is the closest thing we
have to a sacred anthem. Yet along with the poppy, the Cenotaph and the tomb of the Unknown
Warrior, its power is profoundly modern. It is a response to the trauma of war that could only have
evolved in a democratic age. The presentation will be interspersed with bugle music pertinent to
The Last Post.
Monday 24 November
6.00 pm Matilda Temperley Under the Surface: Somerset Floods Brendon Books £6.50
Just before Christmas 2013 fields across the Somerset Levels began to flood. This has happened countless times before
but for the second year running the waters did not recede. Two decades of neglect of a complex network of drainage
ditches and man-made rivers meant that the winters subsequent record rainfall was unable to escape to the sea. For
the first three weeks of this disaster, residents were effectively left to their own devices’ children were ferried to school
on tractors, while farmers were forced to evacuate animals trapped by rising flood water. This book documents the
unique community of the levels and highlights the failures in river management, which led to this disaster. Images by
photographer Matilda Temperley, captions by the community. Foreword by Michael Eavis of Glastonbury Festival
8.00 pm Sineard Gillespie Bur I Love You Brendon Books £5.00
Endearment, affirmation and loyalty or imposition manipulation and threat. Straight guys in night
clubs; dodgy ex’s; smitten best mates; lesbian lovers. In a world of I love you’s there is always a ‘but’
For Andreas and Jon, it’s a night in a club that they’ll never forget as they realise that the hot women
they are moving on are lesbians… KATE escapes her Christian parents for the promises of university
life. Blind to her housemate Robin’s infatuation, Kate heads out onto ‘the scene’, after the guidance of a
counsellor, HELENA. .... Sinéad Gillespie was born in 1964 in Derry, Northern Ireland. She gradu-ated
from Kent University, pursuing careers in Law and Teaching before a stint at drama school in
Brighton.

31. 31
Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Tue 25 November
6.00 pm Brambly Books How to Grow a Publishing House Brendon Books £5.00
The company was founded in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England in late 2002 by two professional biologists, Drs Hugh
and Nicola Loxdale, both with wide experience in scientific writing and editing. They share a great love of the natural
world and the countryside. Hugh and Nicola have travelled extensively throughout the world, both in their professional
capacity and during vacations, visiting a diverse range of countries, temperate and tropical, and observing the wild-life
of these regions. It was the appreciation of the fantastic array of life forms that ultimately inspired the founding of
Brambleby Books and the coining of our Company’s motto ‘Inspiration through Nature’.
Wed 26 November
6.00 pm John Sutherland How to Be Well Read Brendon Books £6.50
As the annual flood of published novels grows ever greater, it’s a hard a job to keep up, let alone
sort the wheat from the chaff. Fortunately, literary sleuth and academic John Sutherland is on
hand to do precisely that. In the course of over 500 wittily informative pieces he gives us his own
very personal take on the most rewarding, most remarkable and, on occasion, most shamelessly
enjoyable works of fiction ever written - the perfect reading list for the would-be literary expert.
His taste is impressively eclectic. An appreciation of Apuleius’ The Golden Ass - arguably the
first-ever novel - is followed by a consideration of Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger. The Handmaid’s Tale
is followed by Hangover Square, Jane Eyre by Jaws.
8.00 pm Paul Upton Hans Schwarz Brendon Books £5.00
First biography of prolific artist best known primarily for his portraits, several of which are in the National Portrait
gallery. Fascinating life story of a Viennese émigré who lived a long and productive life in Birmingham, London and
Somerset. Many illustrations never reproduced before. Published to coincide with an exhibition representing his life’s
work at the Lynda Cotton Gallery in Watchet, Somerset in October 2014. Paul Upton trained to be an architect in
the 1960s but then pursued a career in education which included three headships and a principal lectureship at the
University of the West of England. He returned to architectural conservation work in 1997. He has spent most of his
life in Somerset and lives on the Quantock Hills, not far from Schwarz’s Stogursey house. His interest in Schwarz was
awakened when he provided a home in the harbour town of Watchet for the large collection of his work brought from
his studio in Greenwich.
Thu 27 November
7.00 pm Jeremy Browne/Jeremy Harvey Education Debate Brendon Books £5.00
An education debate between Jeremy Browne MP and Jeremy Harvey
using as a basis for discussion the ideas of economic liberalism explored in Jeremy Browne’s re-cent
book, Race Plan. Jeremy Browne, who is MP for Taunton Deane, spent just over three years
as a government minister following the formation of the coalition in 2010, first in the Foreign Of-fice,
where his responsibilities included Britain’s relations with countries in Pacific Asia and Latin
America, and latterly in the Home Office. Jeremy Harvey was headmaster of Bishop Foxes School
for many years and in retirement is Chairman of the Somerset Art Galleries Trust and retains an
interest in the education system.
Fri 28 November
6.30 pm Matthew Parker Goldeneye Richard Huish College £6.50
From 1946 until the end of his life, Ian Fleming lived for two months of every year at Goldeneye - the
house he built on a point of high land overlooking a small white sand beach on Jamaica’s north coast.
All the James Bond novels and stories were written here. Fleming adored the Jamaica he had discov-ered,
at the time an imperial backwater that seemed unchanged from the glory days of the empire.
Amid its stunning natural beauty, the austerity and decline of post-war Britain could be forgotten. For
Fleming, Jamaica offered the perfect mixture of British old-fashioned conservatism and imperial values,
alongside the dangerous and sensual: the same curious combination that made his novels so appealing,
and successful. The spirit of the island - its exotic beauty, its unpredictability, its melancholy, its love of
exaggeration and gothic melodrama - infuses his writing.

32. Taunton Literary Festival Programme 2014
All ticket enquiries (except where otherwise stated): Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton, TA1 4ER
Tel. 01823 337742 or www.tauntonliteraryfestival.co.uk
Friday 28 November
8.00 pm Philip Ball Invisible Richard Huish College £6.50
32
If you could be invisible, what would you do? The chances are that it would have something to do with
power, wealth or sex. Perhaps all three. But there’s no need to feel guilty. Impulses like these have al-ways
been at the heart of our fascination with invisibility: it points to realms beyond our senses, serves
as a receptacle for fears and dreams, and hints at worlds where other rules apply. Invisibility is a mighty
power and a terrible curse, a sexual promise, a spiritual condition. This is a history of humanity’s
turbulent relationship with the invisible. It takes on the myths and morals of Plato, the occult obses-sions
of the Middle Ages, the trickeries and illusions of stage magic, the auras and ethers of Victorian
physics, military strategies to camouflage armies and ships and the discovery of invisibly small worlds.
Saturday 29 November
11.00 Angie Sage Pathfinder Taunton Library Free
Tod has grown up a PathFinder, one of an ancient seafaring tribe. Her mother, who died when Tod
was young, had a very different history. She was from a mysterious magykal desert-dwelling family.
When Tod’s father disappears she is not only alone, but soon finds herself swept into the path of an
evil sorcerer. Now Tod must choose which of her pasts will help her to survive: PathFinder or Ma-gician.
Magyk will allow her to fight like with like, but her PathFinder heritage gives Tod something
special - the edge. Angie Sage’s new book combines breathtaking action with fabulous plotting. The
characters are instantly engaging, the tension is relentless and Angie’s superlative storytelling weaves
the threads seamlessly together for an utterly satisfying read.
6.00 pm Chris Ewan Dark Tides Brendon Books £6.50
When Claire Cooper was eight years old her mother mysteriously vanished during Hop-tu-naa, the
Manx Halloween. At fourteen, Claire is still struggling to come to terms with her disappearance when
she’s befriended by a group of five teenagers who mark every Hop-tu-naa by performing dares. But
Claire’s arrival begins to alter the group’s dynamic until one year a prank goes terribly wrong, changing
all their futures and tearing the friends apart. Six years later, one of the friends is killed on Hop-tu-naa
in an apparent accident. But Claire, now a police officer, has her doubts. Is a single footprint found near
the body a deliberate taunt? As another Hop-tu-naa dawns, bringing with it another death and another
footprint, Claire becomes convinced that somebody is seeking vengeance. But who? And which of
the friends might be next? If she’s to stop a killer and unlock the dark secrets of her past, Claire must
confront her deepest fears, before it’s too late.
7.30 John Meikle A Personal History of Taunton Brendon Books £5.00
Jon Meikle MBE, and now in his 90th year, gives his personal history of Taunton. He is perhaps in a unique position
with his wide experience of local government and running a successful local business for many years and instrumental
in getting the Brewhouse Theatre up and running the first time around and in a call to arms to dave the Brewhouse
when it recently closed (not, thankfully, open again.
It will be a fitting finale to the festival.
Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
www.brendonbooksonline.co.uk

33. 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
3-6 Drama Bedroom Farce - Wellington Arts Centre (Saturday matinee) Welliington Arts Centre 7.30
4 Talk Linda Newbery, Quarter past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon Brendon Books 7.00
Poetry Reading by Ian Royce Chamberlain (& open mic) - Fire River Poets Creative Innovation Centre, Taunt. 8.00
Dance Rhythms of the Dance - National Dance Company of Ireland Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music 5 Star Swing Band Regal, Minehead 8.00
Music Roderick Williams & Lada Valesova St Mary’s,Stogumber 7.30
4-6 Drama Rent - Young Musical Theatre Company Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.00
5 Talk Researching your Somerset Family - Graeme Edwards Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Music Classical: Jane Gordon and Julian Perkins Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Last Night of the Proms 2014 Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music A Night of ELO tribute Oake Manor Golf Club, Oake 7.30
Music Jiva Housden and George Tarleton
33
Clare Teal accompanied by Grant Windsor
St Mary’s, Stogumber 2.30
7.30
6 Music Come and Sing Day - The Phoenix Singers Temple Methodist Ch, Taunton tbc
Comedy Instant Wit Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Music Rock ‘N’ Roll Paradise Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music Folk Music Night Creative Inn. Centre, Taunton 7.30
Music Oliver Pashley and Luke Tucker
Gypsy Fire Quartet
Jubilee String Quartet
St Mary’s, Stogumber 11am
2.30
7.30
7 Talk An Audience with Tony Jacklin Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Music Halsway Sunday Club Halsway Manor 8.00
Music Philip Scriven
Kitty Macfarlane and Darren Hodge
Choral Evensong
St Mary’s, Stogumber 11am
2.30
5.00
8 Music Concert: Winter Wilson Haslaway Manor 8.00
10 Music Musical Extravaganza Freinds Benefit Creative Innovation Centre, Taun. 7.00
Drama Wuthering Heights - Chapterhouse Theatre Company Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Talk Richard Antiff: Frem Devon to Didcot - Brunel’s Railway Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
10-13 Drama The Haunting - Ilinster Entertainment Society Warehouse, Ilminster 7.30
11 Talk Visionary Artists of the Great War - Maggie Giraud Castle Hotel, Taunton 11am
Music Tibetan Monks Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Comedy Mark Palmer, Neil McFarlane, Sarah Archer, Daniel Fitzhenry. Brazz, Castle Hotel, Taunton 8.30
Music Remi Harris: Gypsy Jazz Creative Innovation Centre, Taun. 7.00
Lecture Albert Einstein: Relatively Speaking Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Drama Warnings ot the Curious: Ghost stories of M R James Regal, Minehead 7.30
Music Beyond the Barricade - musical theare concert Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Talk YCCA Presents Marriane North Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
11-13 Musical Rent - The Young Musical Theatre Company Blakehay Theatre, WSM 7.30
12 Music Jazz: Mike Denham with Jim Fryer Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Stones in His Pocketes Ocatgoon, Yeovil 7.30
13 Music Encore! Amici - Amici Kingston St Mary’s Church 7..30
Music Concert: Fiddle Players Becki Driscoll, Nick Wyke, Dave Shepherd Halsway Manor 8.00
Music Gypsy Watkins in Concert Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Opera Pop-Up Opera: ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music The Lament of the Black Sheep - Ange Hardy Regal, Minehead 8.00

34. Date Event Details Venue Time
34
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.
Comedy Japer Carrott - Stand Up and Rock Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
14 Music Jazz Night: Remi Harris Gypsy Jazz Creative Innovation Centre 7.30
Music Milkshake Live - musical Octagon, Yeovil 1/3.30
16 Talk Maria McCann - Ace, King, Knave Brendon Books 7.00
Music Sally Barker, singer from The Voice Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
16 Musical Rent - The Young Musical Theatre Company Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
17 Music Talon: The Best of the Eagles Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
19 Music Folk: Flying Folk Evening Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Lee Hurst, ‘Things that make you go Aarrgh!!!’ Brewhouse, Taunotn 8.00
Music Rock and Blues Night Regal, Minehead 8.00
19-20 Music Castaways 10th Anniversary Show Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
20 Music Music from the War Years - Taunton Concert Band Ilminster Warhouse 7.30
Music Ultimate 80’s Rewind Show (tribute acts) Oake Manor Golf Club, Oake 7.30
Musicals Westenders -the world’s most popular musicals Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music Acoustic Music Night Wellington Arts Centre 8.00
Music Poppies and Proms with Taunton Concert Band Warehouse, Ilminster 7.30
23-27 Drama Habeas Corpus - @2K Theatre (Also Saturday matinee) Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
25 Talk Peter Hagget, The Quantocks Brendon Books 7.00
Storytelling Guided Story Walk - Christopher Jelley St Dubricius Church, Porlock 3.30
Music Folk: Hannah Martin and Phillip Henry Porlock Village Hall 8.00
Talk Sane New World: Ruby Wax Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
26 Music Jazz: Tim Thornton Quintet Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Gareth Gates Oake Manor Golf Club, Oake 7.30
Talk The Writer’s Panel Methodist Church 2.00
Music Ceilidh with Friendly Folk Porlock Village Hall 7.30
Drama Sleuth - by Anthony Shaffer. Hocus Pocus Theatre Group Regal, Minehead 7.30
Music The Drifters: The Optimum Tour Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
27 Music Autumn Serenades - Taunton Sinfonietta Temple Methidist Ch., Taun 7.30
Music Kieran Goss Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Storytelling Storytelling with Story-Well New Place, Porlock 10.30
Poetry Midnight Skies, Exmoor In Verse Porlock Village Hall 2.00
Talk Jans Ondaatje Rolls Glenthorne Museum 3.00
Talk Michael Ridpath Porlock Village Hall 6.00
Talk Philip Norman: Confessions of a rock biographer Porlock Village Hall 8.00
Music Acoustic Music Night - 4 artists Cretaive Inn. Centre, Taunton 7.30
Music Cwmback Male Voice Choir Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Childrens Old Macdonald had a Farm Octagon, Yeovil 2.30
28 Music The Coull Quartet Dillington House, Ilminster 2.30
Dance Unpacked Lunch - dance performance Blakehay Theatre, WSM 6.00
Film How Many People See the Stars as I Do? Hope Bourne Porlock Village Hall 11.00
Talk Simon Dawson and Maclolm Welshman Porlock Village Hall 2.00
Music Blake Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
29 Drama Romeo and Juliet - The Lord Chamberlains’s Men (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College 7.30

35. 35
October 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 Drama Muddy Choir - Theatre Centre Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Film Shaun of the Dead (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Music Lisa Knapp, award winning singer Brewhouse 8.00
Musical Over the Rainbow: The Eva Cassidy Show Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
2 Poetry Poetry Cafe - Fire River Poets Creative Innov. Centre 8.00
Music Kathryn Tickell and The Side David Hall Sth Petherton 8.00
Talk Jenny Graham Art Talk adn Demonstration Queen’s College, Taunton 6.00
Music Man and the Echo (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Music Kerry Ellis Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
3 Ballet Ballet Cymru: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.00
Comedy Morgan and West (Quartz Festival Comedy Night) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Music Joan Armatrading Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
4 Music Music from the Shows & Movies - RAFA Concert Band Blakehay Theatre, WSM 7.30
Music Danny and the Champions of the World Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music The Producers Blues Band David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Sounds of Simon: Simon and Garfunkel tribute Oake Manor, Oake 7.30
Music The Acoustic Strawbs (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Music Folk Music Night - Mitchell and Vincent plus support Creative Innov. Centre 7.30
Talk Simon Weston - My Life My Story Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Variety Showtime - Variety Show Regal, Minehead 7.30
Musical Carmen Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
5 Variey Showtime Variety Regal, Minehead 2.30
Music The Askew Sisters Silver Street Session 8.00
6 Music The Parisian Jazz Cafe with Liv Monaghan (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
7 Art Stone Carving Course with John Candler (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 11.00
Music Dame Emma Kirkby presents the English Muse (Quartz Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
7-8 Dance Ignition: Space Theatre Company Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.00
7-11 Musical Jeckyll and Hyde - YAOS Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
8 Music New Music Festival Night (Quartx Fest.) Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Drama The Three Muskateers - Patchwork Theatre Company Regal, Minehead 7.30
9 Music Trio Manouche - 3 Piece Gypsy Band with Charlie Henshaw Creative Innov. Ctre, Taun 7.00
Music Lucy Parham and Henry Goodman: Life and Loves of
Debussy
Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
Comedy Comedy at the Brew Brewhouse, Taunton 8.00
Talk Man Book Evening -YCAA Cotagon, Yeovil 7.30
9-11 Opera Encore - Taunton Amateur Operatic Society Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
10 Music Jazz: Ralph Allin Quartet Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Johnny Cash Tribute Night Oake Manor Golf Club, Oake 7.30
Talk Ann Bruford-talk and demonstration of goldsmithing Queen’s College, Taunton 6.00
Music GA GA Celebrate the Music of Queen (tribute) Regal, Mineahead 7.30
Music David Carrick plays James Taylor Warehouse, Ilminster 7.30
11 Music Death and Treason, Rhyme and Reason Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00

36. 36
October 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
12 Music Vanburgh Quartet Dillington House 2.30
Music Chris While and Julie Matthews David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
Music The Phoenix Singers St Anrews Ch, Stogursey 3.00
Comedy Omid Djalili Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
13 Music Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
14 Comedy Dave Gorman Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
14-16 Drama Kes: Heahtfield Year 11 Drama Festival Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
15 Music Karine Polwart David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Drama Passion - Line of Departure (new drama) Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Ballet Sleeping Beauty Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
Talk David Walsh: Public Schools and the Great War Queen’s College, Taunton 7.30
16 Talk Susan Burnett, On the Day I Left My Boyhood Behind Brendon Books 7.00
Talk Manet: There’s so much more to say - Maggie Giraud Castle Hotel, Taunton 11am
Music Concert: Eddie Upton ‘Past Delights’ Halsway Manor 8.00
Drama Not About Heroes Ocatgon, Yeovil 7.30
17 Music Mad Dog McRea Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Everly Brothers Tribute Night Oake Manor Golf Club, Oake 7.30
Comedy Only Fools and Boycie (John Chalice) Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Music Banjo John’s Do Dah Band & Regal Rhythm Regal, Mineahead 7.30
Music Killer Queen Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
18 Music The Divertimento Oboe Quartet David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
Music Kate Rusby Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
19 Talk India - Land of Wonders with Brian Anderson Dillington House 2.30
Music The Roving Crows - a chane to dance event David Hall,Sth Petherton 8.00
Comedy Alan Davies - Little Victories Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
20 Music Coope, Boyes and Simpson - In Flanders Field David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
21-23 Drama Our Day Out - Heathfield Year 11 Drama Festival Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Drama Sire Specific Shakespeare: The Space Company Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
22 Book Signing Ranulph Fiennes: Agincourt - Book signing Brendon Books 6.30
Music Smile!Smile!Smile! Songs From the First World War Halsway Manor 8.00
Music Kieran Goss Silver Street Sessions 8.00
Dance Ricahrd Alston Danec Company Ocatgon, Yeovil 7.30
Music Armonico Consort - Rachmaninov Vespers Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
24 Music The Old Dance School David Hall Sth Petherton 8.00
Music The Karpenters Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Jazz: Benny Goodman Small Group Tribute Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Cwmploddy - Comedy Drama Regal, Minehead 7.30
25 Comedian Robin Ince Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Music Elbow Jane David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Stand-Up Kernow King: Splann! Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Comedy Richard Digance- Comedian and Folk Singer Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30

37. 37
October 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.
Varity The Rivertones’ Variety Show King’s College, Taunton 7.15
25-26 Musical That’ll Be the Day Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
26 Music Joe Brown and his Band Regal, Minehead 7.30
27 Music Martin Simpson Silver Street Sessions 8.00
28 Magic Show Professor Paradox David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.00
29 Music Peter Donohoe Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
29-31 Drama Third Week in August by Peter Gordon (comedy drama) Blakehay Theatre, WSM 7.30
30 Drama Mirrors - a play by Mary Deakin, Page to Stage winner Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Puppet Show Musiciand of Bremen - Sea Legs Puppet Theatre Regal, Mineahead 2.00
Ventriloquist The Paul Serdin Show Octagon, Yeovil 7.30
31 Music Classical: Elaine Ruby and Daniel King Smith Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music The Mocky Horror Tribute Show Oak Manor Golf Club, Oake 7.30
Art Exhibitions September/October
Somerset Remembers Exhibition on how the county was affected by the First World War 26 July 2014 - 3 January 2015
10.00 - 5.00 Mon - Fri 10.00 - 5.00 The Museum of Somerset, Taunton Castle, Castle Green, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4AA
01823 255088
Photography Open II 25 August - 13 September Ilminster Arts Centre at the Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, Somer-set
TA19 0AN 01460 55783
Wed 3 Sep - Wed 22 Oct. Antony R. James: ‘Contrast’. An exhibition of photography, paintings and printmaking. Open
Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm. Free. Meet the Artist on Wednesday 24 September 7 - 9pm. Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre,
School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com
Come Outside. 3 Sep - 26 September. Exhibition of art painted outside. Bridgwater Arts Centre 11-13 Castle St, Bridgwa-ter
01278 422700
More Pressing Matters. 11 Sep - 9 Oct. An exhibtion of prints by 13 Somerset Print makers. Creative Innoveation Centre,
Memorial Hall, Paul Street,Taunton, Somerset. TA1 3PF 01823 337477
Ten Artists at the Meeting House Monday 15 September - Saturday 27 September Ilminster Arts Centre at the Meeting
House, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN 01460 55783
Sam Burton. Sep 20 - Oct 5. Ten darkroom handprints which shows glimpse into England’s longest steam railway.
Gauge Museum, Platform 1, Bishops Lydeard Railway Station, TA4 3RU www.zummerzetphotography.co.uk
Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th September. Porlock Art Week. An exhibition and sale of work by Porlock Painters’ Group
Time: 10.00am - 5.00pm Venue: Methodist Hall, High Street, Porlock
FOOTPATHS Monday 29th Sept. to Saturday 25th October Ilminster Arts Centre at the Meeting House, East Street, Ilmin-ster,
Somerset TA19 0AN 01460 55783
ARTISTS from S.W. TEXTILES
Wednesday 1 - Friday 30 October The Big Draw: ‘It’s Our World Come and be a part of the world’s largest drawing festi-val.
This year the theme is a celebration of our environment: urban, rural and cultural landscapes. Open Monday - Friday
10am - 4pm. Free. Please note Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre is closed during Half Term. Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School
Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com.
Monday 6 October - Tuesday 4 November Knitworking Exhibition. To celebrate the campaign for wool week (6th - 12th
October) knitting too. Exhibition times: Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm. Free. NB Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre is closed
during Half Term. Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com.
Water, Water Everwhere October 11th - January 9th 2015 Oceans Exhibition with Tania Kovats Hestercombe Gardens,
Hestercombe, Taunton TA2 8LG 01823 413923
Hans Schwarz Exhibtion 13-26 October The Lynda Cotton Gallery, 46/47 Swain St, Watchet, TA23 0AG
01984 631814 www.lyndacottongallery.co.uk
MADE in GLASTONBURY Monday 27th October to Saturday 22nd November Ilminster Arts Centre at the Meeting
House, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN 01460 55783

38. Atkinson Gallery, Millfield School, Street, Somerset BA16 0YD 01458 444322
Barn, Obridge House Priorswood, Taunton. Contact: Jeremy Harvey. 01823 276421
Bath Central Library 01225 394041
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
Caryford Community Hall, Ansford, Castle Cary, South Somerset BA7 7JJ
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
Frome Memorial Theatre - Christchurch Street West, Frome, Somerset BA11 1EBTel: 01373 462795
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
Holburne Museum, Bath 01225 388569
Ilminster Arts Centre, East Street, Ilminster TA19 0AN 01460 55783
Iminster Parish Hall, North Street, Ilminster, TA19 0DG
Merlin Theatre, Bath Road, Frome, Somerset BA11 2HG 01373 465949
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
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 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 Catherine’s Church Hall, Park Road, Frome, BA11 1EU
St John’s Church, Park Street, Taunton TA1 4DG secretary@stjohnstaunton.org.uk
St. John’s Church Rooms, Yeovil, BA20 1HE
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
Shapwick Village Hall Shapwick
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
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
Wells Museum (admission by side entrance) off Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE
Wellsprings Leisure Centre, Cheddon Road, Taunton TA2 7QP 01823 271271
Yeovil Library, The Library, King George Street, Yeovil Somerset BA20 1PY Tel 01823 336370
38
Contacts List

39. Workshops, Courses & Classes (September/October)
Listings are for September/October by venue charged at £3.00 per line or part line (up to 110 characters including spaces)
or as part of an advertising package. Single individual entries also accepted.
TACCHI-MORRIS ARTS CENTRE Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com
This September, from Monday 22nd - Friday 26th September, Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre is offering visitors the opportunity to try a whole
week of classes for free!
Community Class Listings September - December 2014
Mondays:
Mini Feet. Lead by early years specialist Hannah Lefeuvre, this is a fun class for parents, grandparents, carers and their children. For those
aged 18 months - 4 years. 1.15 - 2.00pm. £35 / £4 drop-in. Bolder Dance Company. A dynamic dance company for anyone over the age of
50 who wants to meet people, dance and express themselves. For ages 50+. 4 - 6pm. £2 per session / £15 per term / £30 per year. Stamp. For
8-10 year olds. 6.15 - 7.30pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA).
Tai Chi. A chance to ease away the stresses of the day and remove those aches and pains. For adults. 7 - 8pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving
state benefits or JSA) / £6 drop-in.
Classical Ballet. A technical ballet class for dancers with some prior experience. For adults and those aged 14+. 8.15 - 9.45pm. £50 (£40 for
those receiving state benefits or JSA).
Zoom Theatre Company. A chance for budding young performers to really boost their drama skills. For 11 - 12 year olds. 6 - 7.30pm. £50
(£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £5 drop-in.
Taunton Musical Theatre Company. A new company launched this season that will performance skills. Led by David Duthie, Course
Director at The SPACE, Taunton Musical Theatre Company will also receive choreographic training from professional dancers. The Musical!
For 12 - 16 year olds. 7 - 8.30pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £6 drop-in.
Flamenco. Discover the art of Andalusian flamenco. Passionate and rhythmic dance classes for beginners and more experienced flamenco
enthusiasts. For adults. 7 - 8.30pm. £60 (£50 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £8 drop-in.
Wednesdays:
Blitz Dance Company. Learn new routines, and try out street, folk, musical theatre and contemporary dance in Tacchi-Morris’ amazing
dance studio. For 8 - 11 year olds. 5 - 6pm. £40 (£30 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £5 drop-in. Connect Youth Theatre. Create
cutting edge work, develop and hone your acting skills and join this friendly and talented youth theatre company. For 13 - 15 year olds. 6 -
7.30pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA).
Digit Dance Company. This dynamic dance company helps young dancers to develop their technical ability and maximise their creative
potential. For 12 - 14 year olds. 6.15 - 7.15pm. £40 (£30 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £5 drop-in.
Pilates. Exercises to strengthen and tone core muscles, re-align and balance the body, encourage fluid movement and focus the mind. For
adults. 6.15 - 7.15pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £6 drop-in.
Taunton Rock Show Chorus. This chorus has a firm emphasis on fun whilst aiming for the highest possible standards. Singing classics from
the charts, film and stage this class is ideal for anyone who has spent their life singing in the shower or more experienced singers who want a
fresh challenge. For adults. 7.30 - 9.00pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA).
Taunton Youth Dance Company. Taunton’s premier youth dance company offers extensive professional workshops and performance
opportunities. For 15 - 25 year olds. 7.30 - 9.30pm. Membership opens in the Autumn, with auditions taking place on Wednesday 10th
September from 7 - 9pm. If you would like to try out for this company, register your attendance or find out more please email: info@taunt-onyouthdancecompany.
39
co.uk.
Thursdays:
Fun Feet. A fun-filled dance movement class for little people who love to move! Learn routines, make new friends and share your work
with family and friends in end of term sharing performances. For ages 4 - 7. 4 - 4.45pm. £35 (£25 for those receiving state benefits or JSA)
/ £4 drop-in. Yoga. Relax, unwind and improve your muscle tone. This course teaches breath awareness and an understanding of basic yoga
principles. For adults. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £6 drop-in.
Tap Dance. Full of variety with an American influence, keep fit and have fun learning a range of routines. For adults. Intermediate Tap: 7.15
- 8.15pm. Beginners Tap: 8.15 - 9.15pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA).
Strictly Ballroom. Join the craze and learn dances from around the world including Rumba, Foxtrot, Tango and Waltz. Come along on your
own or in a pair and have fun whilst keeping fit! For adults. 7.30 - 9.00pm. £90 Couple / £60 Individual / £8 drop-in.
Fridays:
Singing for Fun. Join Mark Whitford-Williams for a fun, informal sing-a-long of music throughout the ages, have a cup of tea in the foyer
and meet some lovely people. Aimed at those aged 55+. 12 - 1pm, £4 drop-in (includes refreshments).
Creative Innovation Centre
Memorial Hall, Paul St, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3PF 01823 337477
Painting and Drawing Workshops 19 Sep - 28 November Fridays 9.30 - 12.30 and 1.00 - 4.00 pm
Yoga Workshop 9 Sep - 13 December 6.15 - 7.45
Poetry Workshop2.00pm Sat 13 September St.Michael’s Church, Galmington, Taunton,Local poet, Robin Brumby will
encourage us to express thoughts, feelings and observations in poetry, in an atmosphere that is positive, encouraging and fun.
This is in preparation for our “Open Mic” session in the Church on Saturday November 15th at 7.30pm, when we hope to
share our poetry, prose and songs with a microphone.

40. Dillington Listings Sept – Oct 2014
Contact details: Dillington House, Ilminster, TA19 9DT - 01460 258648 www.dillington.com
Artists & The Great War - Monday 1 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Ukulele Workshop – Beyond Beginners - Monday 1 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Family History Research Day – Using Your Own Laptop - Tuesday 2 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Dillington Book Club - Tuesday 2 September – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
10.30am-1.00pm (includes three course lunch)
High Spots of Somerset – Another Mystery Tour - Wednesday 3 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Making Roman Blinds - Thursday 4 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Market Day Pop-Up Book - Tea Monday 8 – Breakfast Thursday 11 September
The Great War: News from the Front – September 1914 - Tuesday 16 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Silk Painting Big & Bold - Tea Sunday 21 – Breakfast Friday 26 September
Remarkable Women: Alice Keppel & Lillie Langtry - Monday 22 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Paul Gauguin & The Nabis - Monday 22 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Soul Divas: Meet The Supremes - Monday 22 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Water, Water Everywhere – Creative Writing Day - Poetry & Prose Monday 22 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
Sex, Drugs & Music Halls: The Naughty Nineties - Wednesday 24 September (9.45am-4.00pm)
The Dillington String Coaching Quartet Weekend – Dinner Friday 26 – Lunch Sunday 28 September
The Glory of Choral Music - Dinner Friday 26 – Tea Sunday 28 September
Beginners Acoustic Guitar Day - Saturday 4 October (9.45am-4.00pm) fee: £55 (includes three course lunch & refreshments)
Dillington Book Club - Tuesday 7 October – Regeneration by Pat Barker
10.30am-1.00pm (includes three course lunch)
Wildlife & Natural History Painting in Gouache - Dinner Friday 10 – Lunch Sunday 12 October
Writing for Radio - Saturday 11 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
Exploring the Music of Arnold Schoenberg - Saturday 11 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
Kick Start Your German - Saturday 11 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
Antonín Dvořák: Man & Music - Dinner Friday 17 – Lunch Sunday 19 October
Bobbin Lacemaking - British & European - Dinner Friday 17 – Lunch Monday 20 October
Polar Worlds - Saturday 18 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
Beginners Plus Acoustic Guitar Day - Saturday 18 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
The Rise & Fall of the House of Stuart - Saturday 18 October (9.45am-4.00pm
The Music of the Victorians - Tea Tuesday 28 - Lunch Thursday 30 October
Botanical Illustration - Tea Tuesday 28 - Lunch Friday 31 October
Great Medieval Cathedrals of South West England Tea Tuesday 28 - Lunch Friday 31 October
Henrik Ibsen: The Dolls House - Wednesday 29 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
iPad Art for Intermediates - Wednesday 29 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
An Introduction to Celtic Christianity - Wednesday 29 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire - Thursday 30 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
Jewellery Workshop - Enamelling on Silver Clay - Thursday 30 October (9.45am-4.00pm)
40
Workshops, Courses & Classes (September/October)
Willows and Wetland Centre Workshops
P H Coate & Son, Meare Green Court, Stoke St Gregory, Taunton, TA3 6HY sales@englishwillowbaskets.co.uk 01823 490249
Saturday 6 September Willow Animal Sculpture 8.30 - 4.30 £65.00
Saturday 13 September Willow Basket-Making Workshop 9.30 - 4.00 £85.00
Exploring the Principles of Felt making 10.00 - 4.00 £35.00
Friday 19 September Willow Animal Sculpture Day 9.30 - 4.30 £65.00
Saturday 20 September Introductory Leather Goods 9.30 - 5.00 £100.00
Creat a Wall Hanging 10.00 - 4.00 £35.00
Saturday 27 September Willow Arctic Hare Sculpture Day 9.30 - 4.30 £65.00
Fri 3 & Sat 4 October Willow Coffin Workshop 9.30 - 4.30 £250.00
Saturday 4 October Introductory Leather Goods 9.30 - 5.00 £100.00
Saturday 11 October Felt Wool Slippers 10.00 - 4.00 £35.00
Saturday 18 October Willow Angel & Fairies Sculpyure Day 9.30 - 4.30 £65.00
Introductory Leather Goods 9.30 - 5.00 £100.00
Basket Making Workshop 9.30 - 4.30 £85.00
Saturday 25 October Christmas Willow Reindeer Workshop 9.30 - 4.30 £65.00

41. 41
Workshops, Courses & Classes (September/October)
KYPHI WELLBEING
Kyphiwellbeing.com www.kyphiwellbeing.com
ENHANCE YOUR WELLBEING THIS SUMMER
Pilates ~ Yoga ~ Meditation ~ Creative Writing ~ Poetry
PILATES
Monday mornings –9.30 – 10.30 am – suitable for beginners and improvers
The Boxing Club, Temple Hall, South Road, Watchet, TA23 0HB
Hosted by Age UK - £4.00 per session – drop in – no booking necessary
Monday evenings – 7.00 – 8.00 pm – general class for all abilities
The Sports Hall, Danesfield School, Williton, TA4 4SW
Enrolment with Somerset Skills and Learning – all enquires to Helen on 01643 702986
New Term begins in September – early bird bookings available
Wednesday mornings – 9.30 – 10.30 am – suitable for beginners and improvers
Roadwater Village Hall, TA23 0QY, beyond the Cricket Pitch, before the Village shop
Hosted by Age UK - £4.00 per session – drop in – no booking necessary
Wednesday afternoons – 3.00 – 4.00 pm – Dunster Tithe Barn Community Hall, TA24 6RY
Progressive classes beginning in September, modified postures always available
Led by Elaine Necchi - £5.00 per session – drop in – no booking necessary
Wednesday evenings – 6.00 – 7.00 – Pilates core strength and yoga stretch
1610, West Somerset Sports Centre, Bircham Road, Alcombe, Minehead, TA24 6AY
(Along the A39, situated behind the West Somerset College)
All sessions available to non-members – phone reception for details- 01643 708 815
YOGA
Thursday mornings – 10.00 – 11.00 - gentle stretch and relaxation suitable for all levels
Roadwater Village Hall, TA23 0QY, beyond the Cricket Pitch, before the Village shop
Hosted by Age UK - £4.00 per session – drop in – no booking necessary
(from 7th August, the class will be 90 mins – 10.00 – 11.30 to include meditation)
Friday mornings – 9.30 – 10.30 – suitable for all abilities, yoga stretching and relaxation
1610, West Somerset Sports Centre, Bircham Road, Alcombe, Minehead
All sessions available to non-members – phone reception for details - 01643 708 815
Coming soon
Meditation at Treborough Church on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
To begin 21 August and continue through the year.
Starting times will vary as the seasons change. Please call Elaine on 01984 640 020 to check.
Writing Retreat Days – Dunster Tithe Barn Community Hall, beginning in October 2014
9.30 – 3.30 on Tuesday 14 October, Tuesday 11 November, Tuesday 9 December
Booking essential and fee payable before before each session. £35.00.
For information on all events please contact Elaine Necchi on 01984 640 020
Or email elaine@kyphiwellbeing.com
Ilminster Arts Centre Listings
Meeting House, East St, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN 01460 55783
Friday 26 September 11.00 - 1.00 Rag Rugs Workshop Tutor: Gill Wilkinson
Friday 10 October 11.00 - 1.00 Rag Rugs Workshop Tutor: Gill Wilkinson
Saturday 11 October 10.00 - 12.00 Guitar Workshop Tutor: Tony Hayward
Friday 17 October 10.00 - 3.00 Felt Making: Geraldine Field
Tuesday 21 October 10.00 - 3.00 Lino Printing Tutor: Rita Yates
Friday 31 October 10.00 - 3.00 Crazy Patchwork Tutor: Geraldine Field
Briony Goffin Writing Workshops
New 10 Week Creative Writing Course begins, Thursday 25th September, 10am-12pm, at the Victoria Rooms, Milverton, with
Briony Goffin, ‘Inspirational Tutor of the Year’, NIACE. Cost: £120. For more info, please email brionygoffin@gmail.com
New 10 Week Creative Writing Course begins, Thursday 25th September, 1pm-3pm, at the Victoria Rooms, Milverton, with
Briony Goffin, ‘Inspirational Tutor of the Year’, NIACE. Cost: £120. For more info, please email brionygoffin@gmail.com

42. The Tenth Quartz Festival 2014
This year is the 10th an-niversary
42
of Taunton’s
Quartz Festival held at
Queen’s College and it
promises to be one of
the region’s artistic high-lights
of the year.
The programme of activities and events
was launched by Festival Director Simon
Ross earlier this week and he hopes that
it will offer opportunities to engage with
the arts, be it Shakespearean theatre,
classical music, outlandish comedy, jazz,
rock music or art and sculpture. This is
the most ambitious programme yet and
places the Quartz Festival at the very
heart of cutting-edge arts provision in the
south-west.
This year’s headline acts include a rare
appearance by one of the world’s most
renowned soprano singers Dame Emma
Kirkby (Tuesday 7th October). Perform-ing
alongside Jakob Lindberg on the lute,
Dame Emma will present a programme
entitled ‘The English Muse’, comprising
work from the famous and the less well
known composers of English song from
the seventeenth century.
Two prolific bands from the 1970s will
be rolling back the years. On Saturday
4th October The Acoustic Strawbs fea-turing
Dave Cousins will present their
own blend of folk/rock (remember ‘Lay
Down’ and ‘Part of the Union’?) and on
Saturday 11th October the Quartz Fes-tival
will welcome John Lees’ Barclay
James Harvest, the melodic rock band
that brought us hits such as Mocking
Bird, Hymn and Child of the Universe.
This year’s Comedy Night (Friday 3rd
October) celebrates the 10th anniversary
by featuring a double bill. The Glouces-ter-
based magician Andi Gladwin,
who performed at the inauguration of
President Obama in 2013, kicks off the
evening followed by the time travelling
Victorian magicians Morgan and West,
who recently appeared at the Edinburgh
Festival and the Royal Albert Hall. This
promises to be a fantastic night’s enter-tainment.
A significant initiative this year involves
the introduction of new musical acts
specifically but not exclusively aimed at a
younger audience, featuring up and com-ing
acts that are just breaking through
on the national music scene. The War-rington-
based band
Man and the Echo will
be appearing on Thurs-day
2nd October and
the wonderful Cornish
singer Kezia will be sup-porting
The Acoustic
Strawbs on Saturday 4th
October. A special New
Music Festival Night,
with discounted tickets
for students, will feature
Manchester-based sing-er
Sukh, whose songs
reflect influences from
Bob Dylan and Sigur
Ros, and Winter Moun-tain,
a wonderfully tal-ented
duo from Corn-wall
and Ireland whose
melodic folk songs have
enthralled audiences on
the festival circuit.
Other events at the Quartz Festival include
a Parisian themed jazz night featuring Paris
nightclub singer Liv Monaghan (Monday
6th October), a music and words tribute
to the life of Claude Debussy performed by
Lucy Parham and actor Henry Goodman
(Thursday 9th October) and a drumming
extravaganza performed by the incredible
Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers, who have
performed over 1,000 shows across Europe
and the Far East. The Festival starts off with
a return of the Shakespearean travelling
theatre company The Lord Chamberlain’s
Men whose all-male cast will be perform-ing
the classic Romeo and Juliet on Mon-
Dame Emma Kirkby
Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers
Jenny Graham

43. The Quartz Festival 2014 Box Office is open
now. Further information on the Quartz Festi-val
can be found at www.quartzfestival.org.uk
where online tickets can be purchased. Tickets
can also be purchased by phone on 01823
340829 or in person at Queen’s College Fi-nance
43
day 29th September, the last night of
their 10th anniversary tour.
Running alongside the evening events,
is the art and sculpture exhibition atmo-spherically
displayed in the Performing
Arts Studio at Queen’s College and in the
school grounds. Curator Sara Dudman,
fresh from the success of last year, has
put together an enthralling collection of
work from established alongside work
from emerging local practitioners fea-turing
mesmerising landscapes, sculp-tural
ceramics and surreal sculptures
together with an outstanding array of
contemporary crafts and silver-smith-ing.
Sara describes this year’s exhibition
as “a fabulous and exciting celebration
of art and culture”. Alongside the dis-plays,
there will be a number of Artists
in Residence and evening workshops.
The ever-popular Red Field Kitchen will
be providing catering throughout the
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Quartz Festival fortnight, this year fea-turing
a Moroccan-themed menu.
The usual Quartz Festival fortnight
will be followed this year by the Quartz
Festival of Dance (Monday 13th – Fri-day
17th October). The brainchild of
Queen’s College dance teacher Jo El-liott,
the aim of the Quartz Festival of
Dance is to provide intimate workshops
for local children to work with some
of the leading dance companies and
choreographers in the country. Brit-ain’s
Got Talent runners-up Twist and
Pulse visit the festival on Monday fol-lowed
by the English National Ballet
(Tuesday), Tim Noble – choreographer
to Kylie Minogue amongst others –
(Wednesday), Motionhouse (Thursday)
and Birmingham Royal Ballet (Friday).
Places on these workshops are limited
and they are expected to sell out very
quickly.
Office.
The Strawbs
Programme of Events
Date Event Time Tickets
Monday 29 September 2014 The Lord Chamberlain’s Men 7:30 PM £12.00 (Adult) £8.00 (Student)
Wednesday 01 October 2014 Quartz Festival Film Night 7:30 PM £5.00 (Single)
Thursday 02 October 2014 Jenny Graham 6:00 PM £5.00 (Single)
Thursday 02 October 2014 Man and the Echo 7:30 PM £10.00 (Adult) £8.00 (Student)
Friday 03 October 2014 Magical Festival Comedy Night 7:30 PM £10.00 (Adult) £8.00 (Student)
Saturday 04 October 2014 The Acoustic Strawbs 7:30 PM £15.00 (Single)
Monday 06 October 2014 The Parisian Jazz Café 7:30 PM £10.00 (Single)
Tuesday 07 October 2014 Stone Carving with John Candler 11:00 AM £55.00 (Single)
Tuesday 07 October 2014 Dame Emma Kirkby 7:30 PM £15.00 (Adult) £8.00 (Student)
Wednesday 08 October 2014 New Music Festival Night 7:30 PM £10.00 (Adult) £5.00 (Student)
Thursday 09 October 2014 Lucy Parham & Henry Goodman 7:30 PM £15.00 (Adult) £8.00 (Student)
Friday 10 October 2014 Ann Bruford 6:00 PM £5.00 (Single)
Friday 10 October 2014 Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers 7:30 PM £17.00 (Adult) £10.00 (Student)
Saturday 11 October 2014 John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest 7:30 PM £20.00 (Single)
Sunday 12 October 2014 The Grand Auction of Dragons! 6:00 PM £0.00 (Single)
Monday 13 October 2014 Festival of Dance Workshops 4:00 PM

44. Jazz at Ilminster
Arts Centre
Ilminster Arts Centre’s
continues to attract some
of the biggest names
from the world of jazz.
Programme Organiser
Tony Hayward offers a
taster of what to expect
from the new autumn
season.
‘We cover a very broad mix of jazz styles
from ragtime piano, guitar blues, New Or-leans
44
and trad, specialist piano styles such
as boogie and “stride”, “Django” jazz, swing,
violin, mainstream, modern and bebop
groups through to moderately contempo-rary
styles’ Tony says when asked why he
thinks the Arts Centres jazz programme
has gone from strength to strength. ‘Anoth-er
key factor is the audience know they will
have a good evening, they trust us to put on
absolutely top quality music.’
It all started 4 years ago when Tony sug-gested
to the then management that they
should put on the best jazz names in the
UK. ‘Although there was some jazz put on
before that, it was not of a high standard.
I made the case that I was very knowl-edgeable
about jazz and that I knew how
to do it but at the time there was some
resistance to this. Shortly after, the man-agement
team was re-vamped and I then
had free reign. The first top name was
Alan Barnes in early 2010 and we had a
full house!’
Alan Barnes is just one of the many
world-class performers who have played
at Ilminster Arts Centre and Tony cred-its
the Arts Centre’s
regular “house” pia-nists
in encouraging
top names to per-form
at the venue.
‘Craig Milverton and
Dave Newton in par-ticular
are seen by
other performers as
top names who they
are very happy to
play with. Craig has
also been a great help in that he has
contacts across the whole of the UK.’
The Craig Milverton Trio have been
almost the resident group at Ilminster
Arts Centre from the beginning, ac-companying
most of the leading jazz
players. Voted “Jazz Pianist of the Year”
at the British Jazz Awards in 2010,
Craig has played all of the major UK
jazz venues, as well as Minton’s Play-house
and The Half Note in New York.
In doing so, the list of musicians he
has played with covers the best-known
names in the whole world of jazz. His
various trios are regularly called upon
to back visiting American soloists in-cluding
Scott Hamilton, Ken Peplows-ki
and Warren Vache. Few British pia-nists
have Craig’s thorough knowledge
and grasp of jazz styles, and Craig’s
solo shows “Tribute to Oscar Peterson”
and “Jazz Piano Legends” pay homage
to his biggest influences. Craig’s love of
the music shines through and he is a
natural at whatever he plays. His next
appearance at IAC will be in Octo-ber
with the Benny Goodman Small
Tribute Group, alongside Julian Marc
Stringle, Roger Beaujolais and Domi-nic
Ashworth.
Eleven times winner of the British Jazz
Awards, Dave Newton is one of the
heavyweights of British jazz and an
Tim Thornton by Bill Knight
Dsvid Newton Alan Barnes

45. 45
absolute master of the piano. He recent-ly
presented his new trio at IAC, featur-ing
Tom Farmer (bass) and Matt Skelton
(drums).
‘Mike Denham is somewhat different to
Craig and Dave’ says Tony. ‘He is very
well-known locally and has a reliable fol-lowing.
His “Speakeasy” sessions are ex-tremely
popular and involve musicians of
his choice.’
Many will know Mike Denham as being a
member of Sunset Café Stompers, and one
half of duo Original Rags with Steve Gra-ham.
His next “Speakeasy” is with Amer-ican
trombonist Jim Fryer in September,
who is regarded as one of the foremost
exponents of traditional jazz on the scene
today. In November Mike will be joined
by Louise Parker who was the late Hum-phrey
Lyttelton’s favourite vocalist.
‘We have a policy of two gigs per month,
on 2nd and 4th Fridays normally. The 4th
Friday has the top UK names - generally
nominees or winners of the annual jazz
awards. Two or three times a year we will
get top players from the US or Europe -
some of which are seen as being the best
in the world.’
When it comes to enjoying top jazz acts,
some enthusiasts have said they prefer the
intimate atmosphere of Ilminster Arts
Centre to top London venues. This is
due in part to the superb acoustics but
also because IAC audiences tend to
want to listen and appreciate the mu-sic,
rather than expecting the music to
provide the background to their night
out.
Also popular with audiences are the
Arts Centre’s pre-show suppers. ‘Peo-ple
can enjoy a main course, dessert
and coffee all for a reasonable price,
although it is essential to book in ad-vance.’
advises Tony.
Having played host to some extraordi-nary
performances by the likes of Evan
Christopher, Scott Hamilton and Alan
Barnes, and Ken Peplowski with Ju-lian
Marc Stringle, IAC’s forthcoming
concert line-up is no less impressive.
Bassist Tim Thornton won last year’s
Rising Star Category at the British Jazz
Awards and will be appearing with his
Quintet in September. By day a lead-ing
light on the classical scene and by
night a fiery jazz genius, accomplished
violinist Ralph Allin brings his Quartet
to IAC in October. Two outstanding
guitarists in the form of John Etheridge
and Kit Holmes will be playing every-thing
from blues, folk and jazz to
Mike Denham
African grooves in November, before Alan
Barnes makes a welcome return with his
Quintet. Rounding off the season will be
Steve Graham’s Classic Jazz in December.
By Sara Loveridge
Ilminster Art Centre’s Autumn
Jazz Programme
Mike Denham/ Jim Fryer: 12 Sep £12
Tim Thornton Quintet: 26 Sep. £14
Ralph Allin Quartet 10 Oct : £14
Benny Goodman Small Group Tribute
with The Craig Milverton Trio, Julian
Marc Stringle, Roger Beaujolais, and
Dominic Ashworth: 24 Oct. £18
John Etheridge & Kit Holmes: 7 Nov £14
Mike Denham/Louise Parker:
14 Nov £12
Alan Barnes Quintet: 28 Nov. £18
Steve Graham’s Classic Jazz::
12 Dec: £16
All concerts start at 8pm with a pre-show
Supper at 7pm. Pre-show suppers
are £11 and must booked in advance.
Ilminster Arts Centre, East Street,
Ilminster. TA19 0AN.
Box Office: 01460 54973.
Email: info@themeetinghouse.org.uk.
Website: www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
Craig Milverton by David J Thomas
John Etheridge

46. The Muddy Choir -
a new play marking
the centenary of the
outbreak of the First
World War comes to
Tacchi-Morris Arts
Centre on Wednes-day
46
1st October.
Commissioned and produced
by Theatre Centre, its writer,
award-winning Somerset play-wright
Jesse Briton, explains
the importance of bringing
such work to a young audience.
Set in November 1917, The Muddy
Choir follows the story of three boys -
Will, Robbie and Jumbo who are serving
with the Durham Light Infantry. The
Third Battle of Ypres is lurching towards
its bloody conclusion and the young sol-diers
are thrust into a landscape starkly
different to the playing fields and estates
of their Sunderland home. When the
trio’s singing causes a disturbance up
the line they face unwelcome attention
from their commanding officers, but is
music their ticket away from the front,
as Robbie dreams, or will the passion it
brings about prove more dangerous than
bullets and gas?
Featuring period songs, the play cap-tures
the lives of young people growing
up during the First World War and ex-plores
the humanising power of music,
but it is a story that is still relevant today
explains Jesse:
‘I think the resonance for young people
is the fact that the boys in the story have
to deal with exactly the same pressures
as young people today: family, friends,
and what they should do with their lives.
The only difference being that the boys
in our story have to do this under very
unusual and incredibly stressful circum-stances.
In this centenary year there’s a par-ticular
significance in bringing to schools
and venues work that reflects the reality of
the First World War for the millions caught
up in it, including so many young people.’
The idea for The Muddy Choir came about
several years ago, when Jesse was ap-proached
by Director of Theatre Centre,
Natalie Wilson (who had seen Jesse’s first
play Bound) to create a play specifically for
young people about the First World War
that could be toured during the centenary.
‘I'd never considered the idea before, but
it seemed awfully important’ says Jesse. ‘I
wanted to explore how individuals react to
an intractable event, regardless of their age
or circumstances. What duress friendship
can withstand, and is that the true measure
of its strength? At its heart, this is a play
about friendship: what we do for others and
what we expect of them.
It was important to me that the characters
in the story felt real, but I also wanted con-temporary
audiences to be able to relate to
them. This involved immersing myself in
the period of the First World War, particu-larly
in the music.’
As Jesse explains, the de-cision
to set the drama
around a trio of boys from
the North East also meant
some fun trips with his
father. ‘A large part of my
family is from Sunderland
so the research was quite
direct and quick. I start-ed
with them and then
made a number of 'field
trips' to Sunderland to get
a bit more of a feel for the
place and the character of
the people. The majority
of the research was actu-ally
focused on the First
World War and the trench
experience.’
Jesse studied Performing Arts at Somer-set
College of Arts and Technology un-der
Ged Stephenson before going to East
15 Acting School where he trained under
Uri Roodner, on the acclaimed Contem-porary
Theatre course. He discovered
playwriting after attending classes by
April De Angelis, and in 2010 he set up
Bear Trap Theatre Company with Joe
Darke. As Artistic Director of the Com-pany,
Jesse writes and directs classically
inspired new work. His first play Bound
won a Fringe First in 2010 and a nomi-nation
for the Evening Standard Award
Jess Briton, author of Muddy Choir

47. Tickets: £10 Standard / £8 Con-cessions
Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School
Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD.
Box Office: 01823 414141.
Email: info@tacchi-morris.com.
47
for Most Promising Playwright in 2011.
His most recent play - a historical epic
called Enduring Song - has just finished its
run at Southwark Playhouse in London.
‘I try and split myself between London
and Somerset but the last couple of years
I've spent a lot of time abroad so I feel like
something of a nomad.’ admits Jesse, who
also finds time to be Visiting Director at
East 15 Acting School - the place that ini-tially
inspired him to take up playwriting.
The Muddy Choir marks Jesse’s first col-laboration
with Theatre Centre who have
been touring new writing for young audi-ences
to venues and schools nationwide
for sixty years. When asked what he en-joys
most about his job Jesse replies ‘The
discoveries. When it's good you feel like a
pioneer charting undiscovered countries
for the first time.’
See The Muddy Choir
Wed 1st October at 7.30pm.
and Students.
Suitable for ages 13+.
www.tacchi-morris.com
Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister opposed the third Ypres offensive and, in his mem-oirs,
described it as ‘one of the greatest disasters of the war ... a senseless campaign.’ Gen-eral
Haig was insistent on pursuing the offensive, however, and, in the absence of a creditable
alternative, Lloyd George reluctantly gave his sanction.
The Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele as it has
become known took place between 31 July and 6 No-vember
1917. Within a few days of the beginning of the
offensive on 31 July the heaviest rain for 30 years turned
the battlefield into a quagmire. Ironically, the heavy shell-ing
that preceded the attack (in which 4 and a quarter
millions shells were fired)and which was intended to
help the allied offensive, destroyed much of the drainage
system and churned up the soil making the conditions
worse. Because of the rain and the ground conditions a
further offensive was delayed until 18 August. When it
did take place, the Battle of Langemark resulted in four
days of intensive fighting, high casualty rates and small
gains for the allies. Commander-in- Chief, Haig replaced
Sir Hubert Gough with Herbert Plumer and the Battle
of Menin Road Bridge ensued on the 20 September
followed by further offensives at Polygon Wood on 26
September and the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 Octo-ber.
Haig was convinced the German army was near
collapse and continued pushing towards Passchendaele
Ridge with further offensives, the Battle of Poelcappalle
on 9 October and of First Battle of Passchendaele on
12 October. Mustard gas was used (as described in the
poem Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfred Owen). Eventu-ally,
after further offensives, Passchendaele village was
captured on 6 November and the offensive was finally
called off. A victory of a kind but at a high cost. They had
gained just 5 miles of ground in over 3 months and a ter-rible
price was paid in the loss of human lives. The casu-alty
figures are still disputed though most estimates put
them in the region of 300,000 for the British and allied
forces and 250,000 for the German forces. Haig claimed
that the ‘war of attrition’ was justified in that the Germans
could afford the casualties less that the allies. However, it
remains a subject of controversy to this day.
Above left: Field Marshall Haig. Above right: Prime Minister Lloyd
George. Above: A scene from the battlefield at Ypres

48. ‘SKYLINES’
Exhibition of paintings by Michael Tarr and Phil Dudman
CICCIC, Taunton October – November 2014
Two painters, each with a passion for light, lines and composition exhibit together,
delighting audiences with their shared joy of colour and the outdoor life. Suggested
glimpses of things often overlooked and the timelessness of the British landscape
are central themes explored with quietude by each painter.
Phil Dudman’s intimate paintings express his enduring fascination with the chang-ing
48
nature of the sky and its effects on the landscape. His romantic works, firmly
placed within the British landscape tradition, draw on influences from the 18th and
19th Century, especially the work of John Constable, through to the 20th Century
landscape paintings of John Nash. The identifiably soft colours, shapes, harmonies,
and textures induced by the languid light of England have been an endless source
of inspiration for Phil and those artists that preceded him, enabling the viewer im-mediately
and easily to make their own associations with the places he paints. His
depictions of trees are redolent of David Inshaw’s still and quintessentially English
gardens and parks.
The influences of the light of Italy and heavy chiaroscuro are impossible to ig-nore
in Michael Tarr’s exquisitely rendered architectural studies. His paintings are
laden with the influence of the flattened perspective of buildings, walls and figures
occupying space before and around them, seen in the work of 14th & 15th century
Italian painters such as Piero della Francesca and Sassetta. However, through these
remarkable paintings, Michael combines this influence of early Renaissance with
more modern artists, bringing his works closer to the abstraction seen in works by
Diebenkorn and De Stael, often reducing the content of the paintings to barely
more than grids, lines and patterns.
Weston College and University of Arts course comes to CICCIC
The creative industries has just re-ceived
another boost in Somerset with
the launch of an Art and Design Level
2 Diploma course at Creative Innova-tion
Centre CIC (CICCIC), Taunton.
Working with prestigious University
of Arts London and Weston College
this course; housed in one of the
most creative spaces in Somerset; is
designed to bring new or expanding
skills to anyone who’s looking to adopt
new skills or wish to progress towards a
degree programme.
Richard Holt, director at CICCIC, who
has decades of educational experience
explains “This course is going to be
amazing and with funding options for all
adult students plus a bonus of extra con-cessions
to all other creative activity at
CICCIC this really is the best education
offer for today’s students.”
The diploma course that is due to start
on October 6th is just one of many cre-ative
activities that CICCIC and Weston
College provide.
“The Faculty of Creative Arts at Weston
College is an exciting creative communi-ty,
led by professional artists, designers
and thinkers, who inspire and challenge
our students in an inclusive, equal,
dynamic and enjoyable artistic environ-ment
and now our courses held in Taun-ton
will means students get access to
this faculty and many more”, says Anna
Lowther-Harris, Curriculum Manager of
Weston College.
“With CICCIC’s & Weston College’s
strong links with creative practitioners
and potential employers through existing
staff and supporters from industry, mean
that students receive the very best advice
and guidance in relation to their own
practice and in terms of progression”.
Open days at CICCIC to discover more
are on Sat 23rd Aug and Sat 13th Sept,
9.30am-1.00pm. Or contact CICCIC or
Weston College for more information.
Tel 01823 337477
__________________________________________________________________
Above: From the top, Paintings by Michael
Tarr and Phil Dudman

49. 49
Writers Anon: Character Creation
In the second of the series of articles by the Writers Anonymous Group on
‘how to write’, Paul Tobin puts forward some ideas on character creation.
How do you create characters?
Do they spring forth from your
imagination like Athena, fully
formed from the forehead of
Zeus? Do you start with one
aspect, say “this character has a
weakness for gambling” and let
their tale unfold? Or are charac-ters
simply ciphers to drive your
plot along?
I do not believe any character
has ever arrived fully formed
because a believable character
has a depth that comes though
reflection. Here are some of the
techniques I use to develop my
characters:
THE IMPORTANCE OF BACK-GROUND:
If you cannot see your story’s
world how can you expect to convince
others it is real? I am not just talking
about science fiction, and building
strange alien worlds, but any point in
history or geography. For example, did
you research what it was like to grow
up in Liverpool in the 1950’s before
you wrote about it? How different was
that to your own childhood experience
of growing up in San Francisco in the
1960’s? What aspects of your own child-hood
can you transfer to another place
or time? How do the actions of the past
affected the world of today? How does
the present economic situation affect
your character? How have they get the
money they need to pay their bills? You
may write pages and pages about this
that never make it into your story. There
is a saying in the army: “Time spent on
reconnaissance is rarely wasted.” Time so
spent will enable you to write with fluen-cy
and be believed by your readers.
GIVE THEM A CV/RESUME: This may
sound like I am gilding the lilly but the
more you know about a character’s life
the easier it is for that character to make
believable decisions. It can be as detailed
or as vague as you want it to be, but we
have all read stories where a characters
behaviour seems more driven by the plot
than by their own internal weather. That
is because not enough work was done to
anchor them in their reality. You can also
use this timeline to sort out the chronolo-gy
of your story. You dovetail the charac-ter’s
life into the events of the story.
LIKES/DISLIKES: What does your
character like? Why do they like it? This
may grow out of their back story, but are
we formed simply by our environment?
The old Nature vs Nurture debate rears
its head here and you as the author must
decide where you stand on it. One thing I
do early on when I am forming a charac-ter
is look through some magazines and
ask myself what would they like on this
page? I then cut out those items; let’s say
a wristwatch, shoes, or simply a colour. I
make a collage, and consider what is the
importance of those things to the charac-ter.
I write down my thoughts. I also ask
myself “If this person was a...” car/table/
colour-whatever; what kind would they
be? I then try and describe them as that
object.
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE: Some
skilled authors exclusively use dialogue
to describe their characters. We build up
a mental portrait of the person via the
words they speak, Evelyn Waugh is an ex-cellent
example of this style.
Most are not that skilled. I
need to use words to paint
a picture of my charac-ter-
even in a graphic novel,
where the real work is done
by the artist. Try leafing
through magazines look-ing
for items they would
like. I am also looking for
their face, their shape, how
they move. It often takes a
composite of images to pro-vide
me with the complete
character.
RELATIONSHIPS: We are
influenced by our family,
friends, and have different relationships
with different people? It’s the same for your
characters. I use genograms (for a more
detailed description:http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Genogram) a social work tool to
map these complex relationships. Basically
this is a diagram of the people involved, in
a family, a situation, and symbols are used
to denote the relationships between them.
You can use this to chart the development
of your story. You could draw a genogram
at the start, and another half way through
to map the changes in the story/relations.
Also if you are stuck you can scribble a
quick genogram to orientate yourself or to
track what the characters would be doing
at that point.
One last thing. Outside of Victorian melo-drama,
people have reasons for the actions
they take. People think they are acting for
the best reasons, however terrible those ac-tions
are, it is just that their perspective on
the world may not be yours or mine. The
techniques I’ve outlined above can help
you develop those reasons.
Why not join Writers Anon every
other Wednesday at The Castle,
Taunton or visit Writers Anon Taunton’s
blog for writing tips, tricks and
inspiration.

50. Page is Printed Festival
Taking place over three
evenings The Page
is Printed Festival
showcased a range of
emerging writers and
playwrights from all
over the UK alongside
poetry heavyweight
Roger McGough.
Page to Stage
Kicking off the three days was Page to
Stage, the culmination of a nation-wide
competition for playwrights selected
by a panel of judges. The two selected
playwrights were supported by the
centre and offered guidance in terms of
development from the Tacchi-Morris
team, rehearsal facilities at the centre
and bursary’s to support the develop-ment
50
of the word.
Plays were performed to an invited
audience of local theatre-goers and
makers and guests and each perfor-mance
was followed by a question and
answer session with the writer and
director. The evening offered three new
pieces of writing exploring the themes
of madness, creativity, entrapment,
the afterlife, writing and were washed
down with a great deal of humour. The
audience gave some really insightful
feedback and great debate ensued.
The three winning plays:
Simon Walsh—As I Go Along
Open on a dark stage. Spot light
stage left – a writer enters. This piece
explores the relationship between a
writer and his work and what happens
when his work starts to answer back! A
hugely enjoyable concept, this piece is
sure to make you laugh and leave you
questioning where we draw the line
between the real and imaginary.
Helen Monks—No Fishing
The world is a fish tank. The people
are its pretty but completely point-less
fish. With nowhere else to go, these
fish-people can’t help but always end up
swimming round in circles. Every day is
the same. But today, something different
has happened - something that allows
them, if only for a moment, to wonder of
a world beyond the glass.
Helen Monks—Pillow Talk
Things always seem better in the morn-ing.
But Kay just can’t wait that long.
Despite her boyfriend Henry’s best
efforts to coax her into sleep, Kay de-cides
the night time is the best time to
talk about politics, history, philosophy
and her dead childhood rabbit, Rupert.
But who is really the mad one - Kay, for
being so incessantly awake, or Henry,
for his inability to come out from under
the covers?
The Page is Printed
The evening featured an range of en-trants
and local spoken word and poetry
enthusiasts. There was humour, poetry,
rap, monologues and even a bit of horror
showcased by performers from aged 7 up.
People travelled far and wide to join the
event – with our Under 16 winner Abby
Walker joining whoc came all the way
from County Durham!
The winners of the adult competition and
the under 16’s winners appear over the
next pages in place of our usual short
story and poetry pieces.
The Page is Printed Prize Winners 2014
Adult Winners
1st Prize £200: Ash Wednesday, by Sarah
Goodman
2nd Prize £100: I love you little tyrant, by
Genista Lewes
3rd Prize £50: Choose your own adven-ture,
by Rachel Pereira
Under 16s Winners
£50 each
The Summers Die, by Eve Smibert
Dear Mum, by Abby Walker
Secondary Scare, by Niamh O’Mahony
Adult Highly Commended
Scattered observations, by Andy Robin-son
First Day, by Bernadette Steadman
Three Point Five Two, by John Bunting
Safe Harbour, by Abigail Wyatt
Girl in the City, by Jo Waterworth
Sad Angel, by Catherine Tucker
Desperate, by Rachel Bunce
Under 16s Highly Commended
Some Slight Alterations Needed, by
Caitlin Barry
The Remembrance, by Anya Cook
Twinkle little star – War and Love, by
Mark Alexander Turner
Crevasse, by Abby Walker
Evasive Protector, by Abby Walker
Pointless, by Emily Bees
Roger McGough
Wordplay, wit and much hilarity ensued
as poetry-titan Roger McGough took to
the stage. The audience were treated to
good humour, recollections and poetic
journeys that took in Beat poetry, cars,
ageing, modern technology, and some
wonderful recollections on the natural
world.
Roger stayed after the show to sign books
on sale by Brendon Books and chat with
the audience about the performance.
The evening was opened by the win-ners
and commended entrants from the
adult Page is Printed competition. Roger
commended the writers noting that it
was nice to see others apart from him
nervous and shaking before the show!

51. Poetry Corner and Short Stories
The Poetry Corner and Short Story pieces for
this issues are taken from the Page is Printed
competition, organised by the Tacchi-Morris
Arts Centre. The poetry pieces are by two of
the adult winners, Genista Lewes and Rachel
Pereira and the pieces on the following pag-es
by Adult winner Sarah Goodman and the
three under 16 winners Eve Smilbert, Abbey
Walker and Niamh O’Mahony.
Our congratulations to all of them!
Three of the winners of the Pages is Printed Competition: From
the left: Abbey Walker, Sarah Goodman, and Genista Lewes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
51
I love you little tyrant...
l love you little tyrant,
the way you roar
to rouse the sun,
all exaggeration and sleepy dust.
I love you little tyrant, love the twist
of your fat fingers, your fist,
sticky from breakfast honey,
your bumbling ramble
around the confines
of your cot.
Even in the crux of the night
when I ache to put out the light,
your Wakeful eyes reproach me
and you’re all fuss and bother and pitiful cries.
I love you little tyrant;
I’ll pick you like a marigold,
carry you through the night.
Genista Lewes
Choose your own adventure
So we packed our bags up
Peanut butter jam and stuff
And wandered thru the valley
Past the park and we found us
Navigating nicely by the lines on our hands yep
Having lately twice been taken to other lands
Bet you didn’ t think of us
As you waited on the fence
You can live your life enhanced
You can choose your own adventure.
We are the beasts that flew from here to you
to see the view
The sand slips thru my hands in to my fingers
We are the ones that held the ball you hauled
we lead you thru
The horse bites words and shakes away his
blinkers
And small fish fold themselves away and slip
to sleep
No fortunes told, no oceans sold, We get to
keep, our eye on cribs where glowing children
slumber.
Another moon sheds her eye upon the Watcher,
An oceans child, his salty glare has captured
A time when kings would leap and twitch behind
the curtain
And shout and call and scream his eyes were
open.
Rachel Pereira

52. 52
Short Stories from the recent Page is Printed Competition
Ash Wednesday by Sara Goodman
(Adult Winner)
It is Ash Wednesday, in the afternoon. Your great-grandmother
comes with a casserole. She has been buying bras with a sooty
smudge forgotten on her forehead. She is 86 on Sunday. That
is classified information. You are one and a tiny bit. That is an
extremely well-publicised fact. You have been pouring invisible tea
into plastic teacups. You have your first pair of shoes on. They are
grey with green laces and bonus Velcro. Let’s go to the park, I say.
It is unexpectedly warm and dry. The monsoon abates for one sol-itary
day. You make a meal of climbing over the doorstep, less than
an inch from the ground. You crawl across it, feet first, smearing
dust with your mini fingers. You stand proud, tiny homo just-about-
erectus. Great Granny takes the lead. She slows her cheetah’s
pace to your achingly slow amble. You meander, you investigate.
You poke a doorway, follow a path. You prod the pavement, scratch
dirt between the slabs, flake a fence, harass a hedge. We walk a
Victorian road. The houses turn their painted faces towards you
and smile. Their double glazing nose jobs twitch with delight. You
find gravel, the holy grail of keepsakes. You stash five select pieces
in your impenetrable lists. Granny laughs. She remembers. We pass
an old Golden Retriever, a small boy with a doll’s pram, a whizzing
scooter, mountainous dog mess, a coke can. You totter, your eyes
on her. She skips, Morecombe and Wise ankle flicks, shaking her
tail feather. You laugh. I laugh. She laughs. We get to the park. You
stumble on grass and right yourself. I scoop you into a swing. You
fly sedately, cutting the air with glee. Granny balances a seesaw
margery daw. She wibbles on the wobly chair. She slinks down the
slide. She laughs. l laugh. You laugh. The sun laughs, l swear. For
one sparkling afternoon, We are ash, dust held, melded, together.
Fleeting diamonds in the rough.
Dear Mum by Abbey Walker,
(Under 16 Winner)
Dear Mum,
First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to express how sorry l
am about what happened. l understand if you cannot forgive me, for l
know that this has caused you a great deal of stress and discomfort and
l don’t blame you! I know how hectic things can get when you run out
of herbal tea.
l suppose that is a good place to start. The herbal tea. I suppose I
owe you some sort of explanation, don’t l? Well that ls what WikiAn-swers/
howtodealwiththejoysofmarríedlife said anyway. l know that my
research isn’t exactly accurate but it is the closest l could find without
visiting the Early Learning Centre webpage and we know how l get on
that website. Anyway! The herbal tea, right. So, as you know because
you haven’t yet slipped into the senile stage, that this morning, you
asked me to run to the shops and get some herbal tea. l begrudging-ly
obliged as you well know and that was the starting point of the
rebellion. l know that it will cause you great pain to hear this Mother,
but l didn’t run to the shops... I...I walked. If it is any consolation, l am
disgusted with myself so nothing you can say will make me feel any
worse.
When l walked (so sorry about that) to the shop, the next act of
defiance was not heading straight to the herbal tea section, but veering
off to... the confectionary. I am such a bad person. I couldn’t help it
Mother! The bars called my name! I could smell their sweet scent and
almost taste the velvety rolls of milk chocolate in my drooling mouth.
You see the thing is, l didn’t want to almost taste it, l wanted to actually
taste it. l wanted to revel in its chocolaty splendour. I Wanted to feel
my cholesterol rising. I wanted to touch the borderline to obesity.
And so, with your ten pounds snug in my fist, l picked up the largest
Cadburys Dairy Milk bar that l could find and slammed it down on
the self-checkout (oh and before l forget, you owe Tesco three hundred
pounds to fix their machine). I paid for my delight and held my hand
out to the change slot expectantly. But no money came out. Not a
pound. l frowned to myself and inspected further. ljumped back in
alarm when a chewed up receipt was spat at me: Cadburys Dairy Milk
£9.99
l stared in dawnìng horror as a single penny was projected into my
palm. I hadn’t checked the price Mum, I am so sorry, | swear! l would
have never bought it if I knew that it would cost that much!
I knew that you would never forgive me if I didn’t get your tea, so I
assumed battle positions and engaged my new mission of getting back
to the house and getting some more money without you noticing. I
donned on a balaclava (well, a ripped stocking on the floor from the
last meeting at the WI) and slipped into ’Bond Mode’. As I approached
the house, I heard you using the vacuum cleaner so I tiptoed into
the back yard and climbed through the kitchen window. I landed as
gracefully as a cat onto the tiled floor. However, being the stealthy
predator that I was, my terrifying presence alone must have caused the
Ming Vase on the sill to wobble. Only to wobble, l swear! But then...
after it wobbled... it may have fallen. Onto the floor. And smashed. lnto
hundreds of tiny pieces.
l knew it was game over in that moment and it was with a heavy heart
that I picked up my passport, called a taxi and booked the flight on the
travel app on my phone. I hope you like the kangaroos on
the front of this postcard and l assure you that Australia has plenty of
herbal tea if you ever want to join me. But just give me a ring first so |
can alert the SWAT team to bring tranquilizers.
Sincerely, Your offspring.
Why Not
Advertise in
LAMP?
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

53. 53
The Summers Die by Eve Smibert
(Under 16 Winner)
Most found Mrs Mewett to be a cactus with her sharp and bitter
personality. Even sitting at her dressing table, she appeared to have a
no-nonsense air of bad humour about her, pulling out the hairpins
that kept her grey bun in place and swallowing two pink pills with a
douse of icy water. Occasionally her fingers would accidently brush
against the ring that hung on a chain around her neck and a flood of
anguish would absorb her as she thought of the ring’s other lying at
the bottom of a frozen lake.
lt had all happened so fast. He was young, handsome and debonair.
Five weeks after meeting they said their vows and plunged into the un-charted
waters of marriage. At first it seemed to stretch like an endless
ball of bright string; the picnics, the candlelit nights. What she should
have known was that balls of string finish, normally just when you
needed string the most. As signs of age started slipping into her face,
his eyes began to wander. The rest of him followed soon enough.
Soon there was another woman; fresh face, fresh body. Mrs Mewett
still faithfully remained his Mrs Mewett, clinging to a flailling hope
that he still loved her as she faded into the shadows of obscurity. Now
here she was; old, bitter and very alone, spitting like a wounded cat.
He did come bock to her for a short while, but even then seemed
detached from the world, glazed eyes staring into nothing. She mode
his food and poured his wine and held his umbrella, yet nothing
changed. He just slipped further and further into the nothingness that
was consuming him.
One night he had been drinking and was in a dangerous mood that
bordered between reckless intoxication and desperation. Slashes of
rain streaked the sky as he, bottle in hand, stood, his silhouette torn
between the bridge and the sky. Tears streamed down her face and
they mingled with the falling rain as she screamed.
“No! Hell, please no! make it all better!” Shivering, she began slipping
her way through the fastforming mud to reach him. The unresponsive
silhouette climbed over the bridge railings and raised its arms in a
final sign of defeat before tumbling into the rapids below. Her body
froze in shock. How could he have grown so unhappy? It must have
been her fault. He was dead and it was all her fault.
The bedroom flickered with candlelight. Looking up, she saw a face
coldly regarding her in the mirror. Lined with age, frown lines arch-ing,
lips frozen in a grimace; this was a face that had long forgotten
the art of smiling. She gasped in horror and the face gasped with
her. A solitary tear sliced down her cheek and dropped onto the Bi-ble
that lay open on the dresser. He’d destroyed her beauty and life,
sucked her happiness and Warmth like a parasite. Yet at the same
time she didn’t hate him; she couldn’t. Running her fingers along her
wrinkle lines, a pang of regret hit her, and more tears trickled down
her face. She saw her life dancing before her eyes like a terrible pan-tomime,
summer after Winter after summer after winter and won-dered
Where the years had gone. Who was this shell of a woman
sobbing at her dressing table? How had she become like this, laying
old and forgotten, wallowing in her own ugly wretchedness?
Most found Mrs Mewett to be a cactus, with her spindly, prickly
personality. Then again, most people these days don’t realise that
cacti grow thorns to protect themselves from the terrors of the
desert.
Secondary Scare by Niamh O’Mahoney
(Under 16 Winner)
Spring...thud, spring...thud. “Wow she’s amazing!” exclaimed Jenna,
as the girl performed complicated acrobatics on the trampoline. lt
was Jenna’s first day at Secondary School and she was enthralled by
the spectacle. “Come on Jenna. Let’s be the first into the next class.”
Coaxed her friend Sarah. “You go on, I’m loving this!” Jenna replied
turning to smile at her friend.
Turning back to the trampoline, Jenna was shocked to see that she
was now alone. Where was the girl that had been demonstrating so
expertly? She had completely disappeared, silently and mysteriously.
Perplexed, she searched her brain for an explanation but, failing, decid-ed
to hurry to the next lesson.
By that night she had forgotten about the baffling disappearance.
Lying awake in the dormitory she heard the peaceful sounds of her
friends’ breathing. “l can’t sleep”, she whispered. No one answered.
“Maybe a walk would help?” she thought. She put her woollen coat on
over her pyjamas and crept silently out of the dormitory.
As she walked a cloud drifted in front of the moon and the dim-ness
highlighted that lights were glowing from the gym. Breathing
faster now, she clutched the cold metal handle of the door. As she slid
stealthily inside, she gasped as, strangely, the trampoline still stood
in the middle of the vast polished floor. Seizing her opportunity, she
abandoned her slippers and climbed inquisitively onto the
trampoline.
She felt the air rush past her ears and lift her hair as she bounced
higher and higher. The urge hit her to try a somersault. Tensing her
body ready for the effort of forcing her feet over her head, she launched
upwards. Soaring higher, she threw herself over and, elated, relaxed for
the journey downwards.
She waited for the impact of hitting the trampoline. Gravity pulled
her down, lower and lower, but she soon realized that she was falling
beyond....but where? Darkness crowded in around her and dread
overcame her. Her scream was swallowed by silence.
Grasping with her hands she felt the damp cold walls of a tunnel as
she hurtled downwards for what seemed like an eternity. Unable to
make or hear a sound and incapable of slowing down her floundering
body.
Smack! She crumpled onto cold dense ground. Standing up and
gazing into the gloom, she stumbled forwards spreading her hands
to shield herself from colliding with the dank dripping walls that
surrounded her. Her racing heartbeat roaring in her ears, her bare feet
sliding on the freezing stones.
Like the distant rumbling of a freight train, a bellow of sound rushed
towards her, breaking the silence and bowling her to the floor. Grab-bing
at the slimy walls to heave herself back to her feet, she covered
her ears in terror.
Gasping, she felt a presence behind her and a Weight on her shoulder.
Reaching up shakily, at last her desperate scream flowed out of her
mouth as she felt only crumbling bones instead of warm flesh and
blood.
Jenna was never seen again.

54. In 1992 I was a student of English Literature at
Richmond College, London. We spent lectures
taking on characters from the texts, reading
aloud and getting to know them. Afternoons
by the Thames would drift past in a haze of
reading and making notes. I developed a life-long
54
habit of pushing pencils into my hair, and
a shoulder injury from hefting a bag of books
around. During this time, whilst we were
studying Hamlet, two notable performances of
the play emerged. One was a big-budget film
production starring Mel Gibson. The other
was a pared-down play at Riverside Studios,
Hammersmith starring Alan Rickman. Both
performances were surprising. The film fa-voured
a swift approach with Gibson offering
an uncomplicated Hamlet. Rickman, on the
other hand delivered a Hamlet full of hair-pull-ing
angst one moment, and lack-lustre weari-ness
the next. Rickman’s complex Hamlet was
not without its critics, but I found it compelling
and thought-provoking. It changed my percep-tion
of who Hamlet was. For this reason, it is
my favourite performance to date.
Despite the years of studying, my literary
preferences generally come from outside the
classroom. The process of studying a text kills
the magic for me! My pre-college favourites –
Dracula, Frankenstein, Macbeth - fell by the
wayside during my college years. Instead I
picked up a love of poetry. I can get a quick fix
from a few lines of Robert Frost or Seamus He-aney
when I have no time to ‘read proper’.
These are certainly among my favourites, as
is The Horse Boy written by Rupert Isaac-son
– now a friend and mentor. His book
is partly responsible for changing my career.
But, in recent years the piece of literature I
have enjoyed the most is the medieval saga
‘The Sunne in Splendour’ by Sharon Pen-man.
A biography of Richard III, it tells the
story of the Cousins’ War in amazing, inti-mate
detail. Like Rickman’s Hamlet, it also
offers an alternative and, I think, a more re-alistic
take on a well-known character.
My interest in the medieval also extends to
art, in particular Pre-Raphaelite historical
genre paintings. Edmund Blair Leighton’s
paintings of knights are among my favourite
things to look at. The modern illustrations
of Warwick Goble and the enchanting snail
photographs of Vyacheslav Mishchenko
lift my heart. Flora McLachlan’s dawn-lit
trees and Jackie Morris’ golden hares sing
with ethereal beauty. If I had to choose just
one, it would have to be Millais’ Ophelia.
I like the fine beauty of her features, the
symbolism of the flowers and the fact that
artists model Lizzie Siddal posed in a bath
of cold water. Siddal as Ophelia is partic-ularly
poignant as, like Ophelia, she was
young and troubled when she died. Both
also died by misadventure (often thought
to be suicide), and both were thought to
have been driven to it by their turbulent
menfolk. Life imitating art indeed.
My musical choices vary as much as my
taste in art. There is music that cheers me
(Joy to the World by Three Dog Night),
music that has emotional resonance (Over
the Rainbow by Eva Cassidy), and mu-sic
to quieten my mind (Into The Mystic
by Van Morrison). However, today I am
listening to the soundtrack from a 1970s
stage show called Ipi N’Tombi. It tells the
story of a young man leaving his wife be-hind
as he goes to work in the mines of
Johannesburg. The music is vibrant and
strange – a mix of 1970s guitar and earthy
South African folk songs – it speaks of
custom, of tribe and most of all, of love.
It was music I heard often in my child-hood
home. As an adult, I still listen to
it. I play it for the children and horses at
work, I hummed the lullabies to my babies
and now my oldest sings it to my youngest,
passing it down the generations, which is
after all exactly what folk songs are for.
My Favourite...
We asked Chantal Bannister to choose her favourite piece of literature,
music, art and performance. Chantal is a disabled riding instructor
working at Conquest Centre for Disabled Riders, specialising in work-ing
with children with Autism. After studying literature at college,
Computing at university and working as a software engineer until
recently, she has finally found something she loves doing (besides
writing).

55. 55
Berrys Coaches Limerick Competition
Some months ago, Berrys coaches driver John Hassall made up a limerick to help pass the time on the long coach
journey to London. A young lady on the coach lady took up the challenge and had completed a limerick before her
stop. This got John to thinking and the Berrys Coach Limerick Competition was born.
Over the early summer months, John collected over 120 limerick entries. They are of an enormous variety – the good, the bad
and some unprintable. However, there are enough good ones that John has been inspired to think about putting together a
book, ‘The Berrys Coaches Book of Limericks’ with profits to St Margaret’s Hospice, the company charity.
John got together with the LAMP magazine and here please find
printed three of what we consider to be the best. Just like any other
form of writing, skill is required - in this case in putting the right
words in just the right place and in putting together a coherent humor-ous
idea. We think the following three entries achieve this particularly
well. Each of the ‘winners’ below will receive a £10 book voucher from
Brendon Books.
There was a young lass from Bridgwater,
Who had a pig her dad bought her,
He got very fat,
And trampled the cat,
So she took the poor swine to the slaughter
Russell Tayson
There was a young man from Shepton,
Who was late for the bus so he leapt-on,
He slipped on some dirt,
But John grabbed his shirt,
So leapt-on from Shepton was kept on.
Kit Allen
When travelling through Europe on coaches,
Beware as the winter approaches,
For the ice on the road,
Means the journey is slowed.
And ‘bonjour’ will become ‘buenas noches’.
Kierron Corrigan
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