Lampwebverjanfeb2015

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LAMP Magazine
January-March 2015 Free
Shining a light on literature, art, music and performance in Somerset
Welcome to a New Year of Cultural Endeavour!

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Named as one of the top
50 of all bookshops in the
UK
by the Independent
Newspaper in February
2012
01823 337742
brendonbooks@hotmail.co.uk
www.brendonbooksonline.co.uk
01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
www.brendonbooksonline.co.uk
Events for the New Year
7.00 pm Wednesday 4 February. Editor of the new book on Somerset birds, Ste-
phen Moss will be giving a talk about Somerset birds in general, and the Somerset
Wildlife Atlas in particular, at Brendon Books.
7.00pm Friday 6 March. Hugh Cornwell former front man of the Stranglers will
be reading from his book and taking part in a question and answer session
followed by a book signing at Brendon Books.
Tony Hawks will be at the Brewhouse Monday 16 March 7.30 pm
Tickets from The Brewhouse, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL 01823 337742
www.tauntontheatre.org.uk or Brendon Books talking and signing copies of his
new book, ‘Once Upon a Time in the West Country’.
BOOKS: New & Old
Ordnance Survey Map Stockists

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Contents
4 Winter at The Brewhouse
6 Tony Hawks: Once Upon a time in the West Country
8 Talks About Art With Maggie Giraud
10 Hugh Cornwell’s New Novel
12 Springtime Concert of Glorious Baroque Music
16 Interview with Stanley Reynolds
19-20 Amici: Of Music and Freindship
22-23 Doctor Livingstone, I Presume
23 Trichotism
24 Sinfonietta: Romance in the Air
Hayfever at The Warehouse Theatre
25-30 Calendar of Events
31-32 Workshops, Courses and Classes
33 Young Poetry Competition
34 Writers Anon: Tips on How to Write Poetry
35-36 Brunner Prize and Short Story
37 Poetry Corner with Paul Tobin
38 My Favourite with John Meikle
39 Julia Copus: Hog and the Shrew
Ted Hughes Poetry Award
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 was delayed
slightly and will now cover
Jan-March. We will resume
2 monthly publications from
April. We look forward to a
culturally exciting 2015 in
this area.

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ONCE UPON
A TIME IN
THE WEST…
COUNTRY
The epiphany happened when Tony
Hawks was on holiday with his part-
ner, Fran, in the Far East… Waking
with a jolt he knew beyond doubt that
his time living in London had come
to an end. The countryside called. So,
with conviction and no arguing, they
upped sticks and began searching for
the perfect new place, a home with a
view across Devon’s rolling hills.
With some enthusiasm Tony and his
better half submerged themselves in
local life and it wasn’t long before they
made the new county their home,
tractor rallies and all!
This wonderfully wry, gently humor-
ous and self-effacing look at a seismic
shift in everything including scenery,
takes in their new life – village halls,
committees, Tony’s total ineptitude
with anything
mechanical and
the bliss of a new
neighbour who
owns just the right
tool for any job, try-
ing for a greener life
and growing their own
vegetables… oh, and
taking up the challenge
of cycling from one Dev-
on coast to another with a
mini-pig called Titch.
As if that wasn’t enough, in their
first year of country dwelling, Tony be-
came a father (overcoming the strongest
of instincts to avoid Responsibility) and
with it they discovered hypnobirthing,
midwives, doulas, relaxation songs and
how to give birth at home. As much a
shock to his system as fatherhood.
As you might expect from this most
energetic of TV and radio comedians
and the author of Round Ireland with
a Fridge and Playing the Moldovans at
Tennis (both of which have sold over a
million copies) this is a joy to read. His
comic observations and opinions con-
tribute to what is a gem of a book.
Tony Hawks will be com-
ing to the Brewhouse theatre in
Taunton to talk about his book at an event
arranged in collaboration with Brendon
Books at 7.30 pm on Monday 16 March.
There will be a short interview followed by
a question and answer session with the audi-
ence and afterwards there will be an oppor-
tunity to have a copy of his book signed.
Tickets are available either through Brendon
Books or The Brewhouse Theatre at £10.00
and there is a special pre-publication offer
on the book together with a ticket purchase
of £17.99 saving £7.00 off the recommended
retail price of the books. The newly pub-
lished books will be available for collection
and signing on the night of the event. This
offer will close on the 28 February when the
books will be available at £12.00.
Tony Hawks at the Brewhouse Monday 16 March 7.30 pm
Tickets from The Brewhouse, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL 01823 337742
www.tauntontheatre.org.uk
or
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
brendonbooks@gmail.com
Tickets £10 or £17.99 to include a copy of the book to be signed on the night (saving £7.00
on the retail price. Offer ends 28 February)

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The Bluebirds are classical
singing duo Sasha Herri-
man and Tami Tal. Based
in Somerset and London
they provide musical
theatre entertainment
for a wide variety of
events.
Sasha Herriman moved to Som-
erset about a year ago. Her back-
ground is in TV news presenting
and journalism both for ITV and
as anchor for 4 years on CNN
news.
However, singing has always been
close to her heart: she studied mu-
sic, English and Chinese at Univer-
sity (including a post-grad year living
in Tuangzhou in mainland China), and
she is never happier than when she is
singing. ‘I always sang in the car when I
was a child,’ she reveals.
Sasha is classically trained as is her sing-
ing partner, Tami Tal. They formed a close
alliance 15 years or so ago when they
both began singing in the English Cham-
ber Choir. Their recent work has been in
classical jazz as with their forthcoming
cabaret show. ‘Much of the good music
around is the cross-over area of classical
and jazz,’ Sasha explains and, of course,
her classical music training has stood her
in good stead.
Sasha has found her move to Somerset
from London a rewarding (though dif-
ferent) experience and is delighted by the
quality of the musi-
cians and performers
she has found here.
She does, however,
retain one foot in Lon-
don where Tami still
lives and they have
performed their shows
successfully both in
London and Somerset.
An interesting aspect
of this is that some of
their rehearsals are at
a distance via skype.
As well as a singer,
Sasha is also very often
writer and producer
of the shows and she
does enjoy the creative
experience, particularly so in their re-
cent successful production of Mrs Noah
and the Flood – a brand new interac-
tive family musical in collaboration
with Castle Carey composer
Martin Emslie. The show was
performed to sell-out houses at
Taunton’s Brewhouse and in
London.
The Bluebirds have created
a number of classical music
based shows including The
Chip Shop Opera. This is a
comedy opera : Tami and
Sasha roam the world in
an intergalactic mobile
chip van in search of
True-Love’s-kiss after being
cursed by the evil sorcerer
Tomatino.
Their most recent venture
has been The Christmas
Mysteries, a modern adaption
of the medieval mystery nativ-
ity stories, performed at various
Somerset venues.
The forthcoming production at Ilmin-
ster Warehouse Theatre is the Berlin
Cabaret Show. This is classical music
meets comedy cabaret – Tami and Sasha
will be providing their own unique
and irreverent twist to a night of Berlin
Cabaret.
Forthcoming Performances of
Berlin Cabaret
The Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster
Thurs 22nd January at 7:30pm
07943 779880 or www.takeart.org
Also:
8pm 23/1 Roadwater Village Hall
7.30pm 24/1 Caryford Hall, Ansford
7.30pm 31/1 Victoria Hall Radstock
7.30pm Sat 31st January 730pm
7.30pm 6/3 Kingsdon Village Hall
13/3 St John’s Ch., Peckham, London
14/3 Telegraph Hill Festival, London
4/6 Somerton Festival

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Becky Wright has
over 12 years of
experience as a
psychotherapist,
counsellor and
coach. Her field
has been excep-
tionally broad,
including the arts,
business, education and health, as well as the mil-
itary, police and probation services. She holds an
MSC in counselling and is a Senior Accredited mem-
ber of BACP and the Association for Coaching.
The series of three talks will help you redesign your life
and find a deeper sense of happiness and balance. The
talks are interactive, encouraging co-creation and new
connections with the audience. The process of getting
to know yourself more fully is an exciting journey be-
cause the resulting awareness helps to make sense of
this crazy, beautiful and intriguing life.
This is the perfect way
to plan your New Year New You!

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‘Looking hard at Edgar Degas’
1834-1917 is a talk which
scrutinises Degas’ approach
to his painted subjects. A shy
difficult man, and something
of a misogynist, this artist
describes intimacy as no one
before him had succeeded
in doing. He watched the
private lives of others as if
through a keyhole. He un-
derstood women so well, and
yet they were somehow just
beyond his reach. He was the
ultimate voyeur.
‘Ten Treasures of the Uffizi’ is an armchairs
traveller’s visit to the fabulous collection
in the famous gallery in Florence. A
selection is drawn from the earlier works
displayed from the C13-C15, to include
Simone Martini’s Annunciation, Botticel-
li’s Birth of Venus and lesser well-known
images. Stories are unravelled and con-
nections drawn to make these works even
more enjoyable.
‘Painters of Perfection’ Fra Angelico (1387-1455) and Piero della Francesca (1410-92) are discussed, as two
Early Renaissance artists who arguably achieved a kind of perfection in their work. Almost contempora-
neous, they strove to combine artistic and spiritual purity, and between them produced some of the most
moving images of a period, when secular
power was rivalling the church for domi-
nation of cities like Florence.
Maggie Giraud’s ‘Talks about Art’ continue for a 2015 season
at the Castle Hotel Taunton. The talks, which are outlined be-
low run for one each month from January to March.
Forthcoming Talks with Maggi Giraud
at the Castle Hotel, Castle Green, Taunton
01823 328303
events@the-castle-hotel.com
15 Jan 2.00pm Looking Hard at Degas
12 Feb 2.00pm Ten Treasures of the Uffizi
12 Mar 2.00pm Painters of Perfection
Maggie, who is a Fellow of
the Royal Society of Arts, was
educated at Leeds School of Art,
and London University. She was
employed as Curator and Archi-
vist to the Dartington Hall Trust,
and was the founding curator of
High Cross House.

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Hugh Cornwell is considered by many
to be one of the UK’s finest songwrit-
ing talents and accomplished live
performers. As the original guitar-
ist, singer and main songwriter
in the British rock band The
Stranglers, he’s enjoyed massive
success with 10 hit albums and
21 Top Forty singles, etching
himself into Europe and the
USA’s musical psyche with classic
songs, including Peaches, No More
Heroes, Golden Brown, Always the
Sun and Duchess.
His latest solo album Totem And Ta-
boo was released to rave reviews.
Cornwell’s first novel Window on the
World was published In 2011 and Arnold
Drive is his second work of fiction.
Nothing much has ever happened to Rev
Arnold Drive, the meekly quiet vicar of
St Tobias. Feeling safe only within the
walls of his church and the gentle rules
of his faith, Arnold is ironically a man
utterly without drive; a man content that
nothing much ever happens. Nothing,
that is, until the day his church is sold
Hugh Cornwell will be reading from
his book and taking part in a question
and answer session followed by a book
signing at Brendon Books in Taunton
on Friday 6 March.
Tickets from Brendon Books,
Old Brewery Buildings, Bath Place,
Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742
brendobooks@gmail.com
Original Stranglers frontman, Hugh Cornwell, comes to
Taunton in March to talk about his sec-
ond novel concern- ing the trials and
tribulations of vicar Arnold Lane.
off to property developers. Ejected
from his church and his home, Ar-
nold is thrust out into the modern
world - a world for which he is
utterly ill-equipped. Suddenly,
life presents Arnold with a
series of moral dilemmas that
test his faith, his judgement
and his understanding of hu-
man nature. His first experi-
ence of love and sex, a surprise
confession of murder, a suicide,
the prospect of unexpected
wealth, the discovery of a hidden
family history, all cause Arnold to
reassess the certainties he has taken
for granted. Then, a near-fatal car
accident forces him to face up to the
fragility of sanity and of life itself...Ar-
nold Drive is the story of a man’s journey
from innocence to experience where he
discovers his moral compass isn’t always
pointing the right way.
Tons of Money by Will Evans & Arthur Valentine, revised by Alan Ayckbourn
Alan Ayckbourn’s version of the first of the famous Aldwych farces was produced by the National Theatre. It is the story of an
unsuccessful inventor who inherits the life interest in a fortune which is to revert on his death to his cousin George Maitland. As
Cousin George is thought to have died abroad, the inventor has the brilliant idea of “dying” so that he can resurrect himself as
his cousin and avoid paying his enormous debts. Complications arise in the form of George’s wife, another Maitland imposter
(the butler’s brother) and finally the real George Maitland himself!
Add a scheming butler, lugubrious gardener, smarmy solicitor, fainting female and ironic aunt, and you have a cocktail of
comedy that would defeat Prohibition. This wickedly funny and physical play is full of Roaring Twenties spirit, pace and dash,
with wisecracking dialogue, mistaken identities, polish and pizazz.
Taunton Thespians will be performing Tons Of Money at the Brewhouse Theatre from Tuesday 3rd to
Saturday 7th March 2015 at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets are available from the
Brewhouse Box Office on 01823 283244, via the Brewhouse website at www.thebrewhouse.net
or Taunton Tourist Information Centre on 01823 336344.

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A Springtime Concert of Glorious Baroque Music
The Phoenix Singers
[Music Director: An-
drew Maddocks] are
delighted to announce
the programme for their
forthcoming concert at
7.30 pm on Saturday
14th March at St John
the Baptist Church, Wel-
lington.
The programme is full of musical gems
from the early 18th century, the ze-
nith of the so-called Baroque era. The
concert features the famous Gloria by
Vivaldi, music by Handel [Utrecht Jubi-
late and Ode for the Birthday of Queen
Anne] and J.S. Bach with the addition of
a flute concerto movement by Pergolesi.
Vivaldi’s setting of the Gloria needs little
introduction since for many years it has
become equally popular with both per-
formers and audiences. Vivaldi was writ-
ing for the young ladies of the Ospedale
della Pietà, Venice where he taught mu-
sic and later was to become a priest. By
contrast, Handel composed for wealthy
patrons, most notably royalty. His Ode
for the Birthday of Queen Anne
[a secular cantata of 1713] was to
honour the Queen who, with her
government, had secured the Trea-
ty of Utrecht to end the War of the
Spanish Succession The Treaty was
to be celebrated in Handel’s set-
tings of the Te Deum and Jubilate
written for the celebratory service
in St Paul’s Cathedral. Although
Queen Anne is said to have been
no musical enthusiast of Handel
- or any other composer - she did
give him a pension for life!
There will be a superb and experi-
enced set of soloists for the occa-
sion. In 1984 Josie Walledge [so-
prano] was a BBC Girl Chorister
of the Year finalist and later won
a Choral Scholarship to Gonville
and Caius College, Cambridge.
Peter Oakley [counter-tenor] has
just completed his time as a stu-
dent at Cambridge University where was
a Choral Scholar with the chapel choir at
King’s College. David Bridges [tenor] is
currently Chapel Organist and Choir-
master at Taunton School. David trained
the Royal College of Music, studying
both organ and piano. Gareth Day-
us-Jones [baritone] attended Durham
School before taking a music degree at
Cambridge University. He is now Di-
rector of Music at King’s Hall, Taunton
and was previously a visiting teacher at
Winchester College and a Lay-Clerk at
St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Margaret
Hammel [flute] obtained a music degree
at Birmingham University while taking
a diploma in flute performance at the
Conservatoire.
Accompanying the choir and
soloists is The Little Baroque
Company [leader: Helen Kru-
ger], a dynamic London-based
ensemble specialising in 17th
and 18th century music. They
perform on period instruments.
The LBC have toured a number
of European countries and Aus-
tralia. They are a regular fixture
at the London Handel Festival,
have performed live on BBC
Radio 3 and are releasing a debut
recording with soprano Julia
Doyle this year.
Tickets are on sale at £15 [stu-
dents and children free] from
Taunton Tourist Information
Centre or 01823 432704 or on-
line at www.thephoenixsingers.
co.uk

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For the 80 year-old has released his fifth
book in his crackingly-written Parker Dan-
iels Casebook “comedy with blood” series.
Inspired by the classic dime novel form, his
latest, Invitation To A Few Murders sees
protagonist Police Chief Parker “Boomer”
Daniels solving yet another “crime romp”
in rural North Holford – a setting inspired
by Reynolds’-own American birth town.
It’s a colourful continuation for the diverse
writer, who’s survived 127 cardiac arrests
(just ask his doctors), and crafts obituaries
for The Guardian (his most recent was fel-
low crime writer PD James). Today, you’ll
find him in his pink house nook, still push-
ing the envelope on an enviable career of
wordsmithery, in the line of comic crime.
And what a career: writing for Reuters,
The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Sun-
day Times, The New Statesman, The Inde-
pendent, The European, The Oldie (and
The Observer and The Guardian of course);
columnist, critic, ‘colour’-writer and con-
tributor, Reynolds’ feats’d hold anyone in
dumb awe.
Yet when I pry on his achievements, ‘Uncle
Stan’ (a Punch-y sign-off if ever there was
one) is achingly humble. He’s proudest of
managing to look after his three boys and
holding down a full-time job, he says… but
OK, all right – he’ll allow me some gladness
at having made a living from words, if he
must.
Born in 1934, raised in the New England
countryside, it was as a school boy that
Punch‘s future editor broke his satirist’s
teeth, on his own, self-published school
paper. “It was so bound to fail because of
what I put in”, he tells me, for it ripped into
his educationalists and, to the principal’s
dismay, Senator McCarthy. “The princi-
pal got rid of me, he was so furious at me
making fun of Senator McCarthy – be-
cause McCarthy was funny – and he said,
‘you shouldn’t be writing about politics! Of
course, he meant in a funny way…”
Witnessing a car crash off a cliff led Stan
to his first real reporter role; a journalist at
the scene, noting the intrigue in his face,
arranged for Stan “to meet the boss” – the
city editor on the Holyoke Evening Tran-
script– and then sure enough he was report-
ing, though still at college. It was on from
there to The Providence Journal, known as
“the conscience of New England”, where he
really learnt his trade.
Stan would steer away from straight-toned
news to carve his own-brand ‘colour’ pieces,
feature stories and interviews, which ulti-
mately made him. “A lot of people had dif-
ficulty with the style then, because the style
until then had been very strict – but with the
new way of writing even the little stories had
strange intros to them,” he notes.
Two-years hitched, and with Stan’s first,
Liverpudlian wife expecting son number 1,
she and he upped sticks for the UK in 1960,
where he landed a job “just for the summer
right away” on the Manchester Evening
News. He moved onto the Liverpool Daily
Post and Echo, which got him flown out to
follow JFK and Nixon in the 1960 US Presi-
dential election.
“It was move move move all the time,” says
Stan, wryly. “They’d print off these speeches
ahead of time and just hand it to you, but
then in the meantime JFK’d made up his
own. I didn’t know enough to be upset by
this, but the real political reporters were very
cross about that.”
By 1964 The Guardian had poached him to
craft twice-weekly humour column, ‘Miscel-
lany’, and he worked out of the paper’s Man-
chester HQ and smaller 43 Fleet Street office,
using portable typewriters, and hanging out
with “the Oxford and Cambridge punks,
smoking and talking” rather than the “big
brains” writing the news.
In 1989 he became Literary Editor of the
satirical, now defunct, Punch magazine (he
was already a contributor), next Arts Editor,
and finally Editor when crisis began to rear
its ugly head at the publication. Together he
and “awesome” cartoonist Michael Heath
turned it around by lowering production
and subscription costs, and increasing sales.
He reflects: “Punch’s readership had
dropped from 86,000 to 56,000, which was
very good considering what the Spectator
had, so comparatively we were all right. I
managed to get it to stop falling. It was just
the way things were. But cartoons were the
best thing in it; always had been.”
Stan then swiftly left Punch behind to be-
come “free as a bird” freelancer. Among the
many he got to know through his trade was
Beat Generation poet Alan Ginsberg, with
whom he’d recite Jack Kerouac, “like it was
poetry”, and writer Tom Wolfe, who stayed at
Stan’s: “He was very conceited, very good on
the intimate details of things, and wrote with
this calligraphy – unbelievable.”
When it comes to Stan’s writerly preferences,
he rates DH Lawrence’s essays (“so positive”)
and Aldous Huxley’s Chrome Yellow (“gee!”),
but it’s the lesser-known Ronald Firbank,
modernist and aesthete author of Five Nov-
els, he reserves most reverence for, for Fir-
bank retained his independence as a writer,
paid publishers to release his work, and so
kept himself free of The Agent’s commercial
shackles.
It’s an independence Stan’s caught in his
own work, and a spirit similarly strong in
his sons. Only the middle, Alexander, chose
journalism; a fearless, hard-edged form, in-
vestigating and experiencing prisons round
the world, and now working for VICE News
agency.
So what keeps Stanley Reynolds writing,
still? “It makes all the difference in the world.
There’s this other place you can live in, that’s
what’s good about it. And with journalism,
it’s meeting people, isn’t it? But then my sons
used to like to hear me typing ‘cos it meant
‘the old fool’s making money!’”
For a copy (or two) of Stanley Reynolds’
Invitation To A Few Murders: A Country
House Mystery, drop into Brendon Books,
Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER
01823 337742
Daisy Blacklock
It’s 25 years since Stan was Editor of Punch; 54 since he
tracked JFK on the campaign trail; a few more since he
swapped his Guardian columnist’s hat for TV critic’s. But
in 2015? American-born, decades-long journalist and nov-
elist STANLEY REYNOLDS is ensconced in deepest dark-
est Somerset, still playing the writing game. Only now, it’s
bloody murder.

16
Somerset is a greatly diverse landscape
and supports more than 200 species of
birds and there have been sevearl vol-
umes on Somerset birds over the years.
However, now, for the first time,
they have been mapped in the Somer-
set Atlas of Breeding and Wintering At-
las. The statistical analysis is important
in itself though it would be a mistake to
think that this is simply a dry statistical
analysis of tables.
Apart from an interesting forward and
introduction from Simon King and Ste-
phen Moss respectively, there is what is,
in effect, a natural history survey (all-
beit slanted from a bird habitat point of
view) of the various geographical areas
that make up the county. Each bird
entry has something about the bird and
its history in addition to a description
of the pattern of distribution with the
aid of tables.
The book is Produced by the Somer-
set Ornithological Society (SOS) and
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO),
with thousands of records collected by
more than 600 volunteers. The joint
SOS/BTO Atlas project ran concur-
rently with the BTO’s national Atlas
project, and uses the same data, but the
Somerset Atlas displays bird distribu-
tions in the county at a finer resolution
than the national project could achieve.
The BTO’s National Atlas was published
late in 2013.
The Atlas will be an invaluable resource
both now and in the future, to help us
plan how best to help Somerset’s birdlife.
It is also a fascinating snapshot of the
current status and distribution of birds in
Somerset.
Species featured include common res-
idents such as the Robin and Blackbird,
summer visitors including the Cuckoo,
Swift and Swallow, passage migrants such
as seabirds and waders, and winter visi-
tors – amongst them thousands of ducks,
geese and swans.
The Atlas also confirms that Somerset is
now home to some exciting new arrivals,
taking advantage of the newly created
wetland habitats on the Somerset Levels.
Bitterns have returned to breed after an
absence of almost half a century, while
new arrivals from the south including
Great White and Little Egrets, Little
Bittern, and the reintroduced flock of
Cranes now in residence on the southern
part of the levels. Meanwhile Buzzards,
Red Kites and Peregrines – once driven
to the edge of extinction by poisoning
and pesticides – are now a regular sight
in Somerset’s skies.
But it’s not all good news. Many once
common and familiar birds have either
declined in numbers or in a few sad
cases have disappeared completely. The
tiny Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is not
longer found in the county’s cider apple
orchards, while Yellowhammers no longer
sing their characteristic ‘little-bit-of-
bread-and-no-cheeese’ song from many of
our hedgerows. Willow Tit, Grasshopper
Warbler and Merlin have almost disap-
peared as breeding birds, while Turtle
Doves and Corn Buntings are no longer
found in Somerset at all.
To combat these declines, conserva-
tionists, birders and volunteers are now
joining forces to improve existing habitats
and create new ones, to try to bring these
lost birds back and to encourage new col-
onists. Who knows what the next decade
will bring: maybe White Storks, Glossy
Ibis and even Bee-eater could breed here
for the first time.?
Editor of the book, Stephen Moss
will be giving a talk about Somerset
birds in general, and the Somerset
Wildlife Atlas in particular, at
Brendon Books on
Wednesday 4 February at 7.00pm
Tickets available from Brendon
Books, Bath Place,
Taunton TA1 4ER
01823 337742
brendonbooks@gmail.com

17
Bishops Lydeard Papershop
The Paper Shop is a friendly vil-
lage shop with local knowledge-
able staff. We are a Newsagent
and we stock a vast range of mag-
azines. We can order any special
interest titles and deliver them to
you or save them in the shop for
collection.
Address: 11 Church St, Bishop’s
Lydeard, Taunton TA4 3AT
Phone:01823 432456

19
Twenty years ago, I was asked to write a
review of a concert by a small vocal group
in the then new performance space at
Taunton School. Their name was Ami-
ci, and they endeared themselves to me
straight away by preceding the concert
with free champagne, strawberries and
cream. Their musicianship was a reve-
lation – Bruckner, Walton (‘Facade’) and
pieces by local composer Reginald Poco-
ck were performed with skill and verve.
Their performance prompted me to ap-
proach their director, Dr. John Cole, and
to ask quite outrageously if I could audi-
tion to join Amici. I did, and was one
of the very first ‘non-founder’ members
of a choir which has been an outstanding
feature of the Taunton musical scene ever
since its foundation.
John Cole was already well known
throughout Somerset and in his 50 active
years did more to bring live, high-quali-
ty music to the county than any other
single person. He combined a busy ca-
reer as a GP with his other great love,
music, starting in the 1960s with the
founding of the Somerset Summer Cho-
rus. He was musical director of Taunton
Choral Society for 15 years, performing 50
concerts with them.
In 1994 he founded Amici. As the name
suggests, this started out as a small group
of like-minded friends who got together
for the sheer pleasure of singing. Today
Amici numbers around 36, many mem-
bers are solo singers in their own right and
the choir has several overseas tours to its
credit, including to Italy, USA, France and
Belgium. While they do a good deal of
what you might call ‘the serious stuff’ they
also perform ‘let your hair down concerts’,
Gershwin, Cole Porter and the like. (They
also do weddings! Follow the website link
below).
Sadly in 2013 John Cole passed away but
the conductor’s baton was ably picked
up by Andrew Trewhella. Amici’s goal
now, as then, is to give the best possible
performances of all types of music, and
especially to bring new composers and
their works to public notice. That is why
mixed in with the well established choral
repertoire, Amici have performed several
premier performances and have had works
composed for them. Although happy to
perform larger-scale works with orchestral
accompaniment, their focus is on the huge
body of music available for smaller ensem-
bles, with minimal accompaniment and
often ‘a cappella’.
Harold Mead reflects
on his time at Amici
since he made their
acquaintance 20 years
ago - and looks for-
ward to their next con-
cert.
Of Music and Friendship
Doctor John Cole
Members of Amici. Harold Mead is the furthest to the right of the four men in white shirts in the centre of the picture.

20
Andrew Trewhella has been immersed in
choral music from an early age. He read
music at Bristol University before study-
ing for a PGCE at Bath College of Higher
Education and the Associateship Diplo-
ma of the Royal College of Organists.
A Cornishman by descent, Andrew was
delighted to return to the West Coun-
try as Director of Music at Wellington
School in 1995. He conducts and sings
with choirs, as a tenor soloist, regularly
accompanies on either piano or organ
and musically directs Musical Theatre.
Amici are delighted with his skill, sheer
musicianship and warm commitment to
us. He has already led us along some less
familiar musical paths and it is a journey
well worth the taking.
When they can, Amici like to give finan-
cial help to young singers, and have re-
cently been pleased to provide bursaries
to support their musical education. All
that is asked in return is that they sing
with the choir for a year or so. Amici
also hope to assist new composers, per-
haps by performing a newly written
work or even commissioning music for
Amici to sing.
In November 2006 Amici performed
Brahms’s ‘Ein Deutsches Requiem’. The
soprano soloist that night was a young
lady who the year before had graduated
from the Royal College of Music and in
2006 had won the Kathleen Ferrier Prize.
Her name is Elizabeth Watts and she
went on the win the Lieder Prize at the
Cardiff Singer of the World Competi-
tion. She is now a much sought-after
world class performer in opera, orato-
rio and lieder, and Amici are delight-
ed that having maintained her contact
with the choir and Taunton she is now
their honoured Patron.
Amici’s next performance is Satur-
day 28th March, St. James’s Church
Taunton 7:30 p.m. to include the won-
derful Mozart ‘Coronation’ Mass, Ave
Verum Corpus and Exsultate Jubilate.
Various works from Handel and Pur-
cell will complement the Mozart and
with the professional Bristol Ensem-
ble orchestra the evening should be a real
treat of outstanding music. The choir then
delights with summer music on Saturday
July 11th 2015 in Wellington before con-
tinuing a tradition of international travel
by a short concert tour in the Basque re-
gion of Spain. Wherever the future takes
them the choir will always strive to meet
the goal set from the beginning – to be the
best they can be and always to do justice
to the music.
Details of all our latest concerts are
available at our NEW web-site www.am-
icichoir.org.uk - tickets can be purchased
on-line or through Taunton Tourist Infor-
mation, Gillian Greig Music or from any
choir member.
Current dijrectory, Andrew Trewhella Singing superstar, Elizabeth Watts
A Year in ‘Provenance’
Park Art and Collectables closed recently after a successful year of selling local
art. The Gallery at the top of the High street opposite Vivary Park gates gave
local artists a chance to sell their work on the High Street, and also the public a
chance to buy affordable, original local work, at realistic market prices.
Rachel Hartland, whose thesis for her BA (Hons) degree course with Plymouth
University in 2010, was entitled ‘Why we need an Art Gallery in Taunton,’ has,
she believes, been able within the last eighteen months, to prove her findings
not only on paper, or just by research and survey, but in reality by opening the
little Gallery.
‘It was a great opportunity to test the market, in the year prior to my husband
retiring’, said Rachel, ‘ I have made many friends among artists and customers,
I never expected to get so much repeat business, my research definitely paid off.’
Rachel plans to catch up with her own art work, write more, and travel with her husband now she is retired, and would like to
thank everybody who has supported the venture, and celebrate all the fun times, friendship and conversations which she has
had the privilege to share with others.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

21
75th Anniversary Concert
Saturday 28th March 2015
Laurence Blyth will be conducting a concert cele-
brating the 75th Anniversary of Wellington Cho-
ral Society’s foundation at St John’s Church, Wel-
lington.
The programme will include Felix Mendelssohn’s
Hymn of Praise and excerpts from Messiah.
The performance is at 7.30pm, and tickets may be
obtained from Nurture by Nature, South Street,
Wellington, from the Taunton Information Centre
at Taunton Library, from choir members, on the
door or online at:
www.wellingtonchoralsociety.org.uk
Michael Cohen CPsychol, AFBPsS, PPDip, MSc, BSc
(Hons), MBACP
Chartered Psychologist & Psychotherapist
Stress through relationship or financial difficulties, bereave-
ment, eating or drinking to excess are all common in today’s
life. Make 2015 your year to address these and other damag-
ing sources of unhappiness.
I have been a therapist for over 20 years. I use an integrative
approach and draw on expertise in a variety of therapies
which include CBT, mindfulness practices, EMDR and hyp-
notherapy. please visit my website for a brief explanation at:
www.michaelcohenpsychologiost.co.uk
I practice at The Crown Medical Centre, Taunton, also in
Exeter and Dulverton.
01398 332428
07743 700073
mcpsychol@gmail.com
Homedale Health
34 Denmark Road
Exeter EX1 1SE
Crown Medical Centre, 1st floor
Venture Way
Taunton TA2 8QY
Exmoor Medical Centre
Fishers Mead
Dulverton TA22 9EN

22
DoctorLivingstoneIPresume!
‘Dr Livingstone was a big celebrity in his
time and Dr Livingstone, I Presume is the
tale of the great explorer and his travels to
the heart of Africa in search of the source
of the river Nile told through the medium
of Victorian music hall,’ explains Bill.
Both a hurrah to courage and endurance
and a swipe at the 19th Century ideals of
imperialism, chauvinism and hypocrisy,
this curious re-telling of a slice of histo-
ry is served up with a side dish of lion
wrestling (pretend of course!). The story
is recounted by a Victorian travelling
theatre company called The Ffitch Reper-
tory Players who will be recognisable to
those familiar with Miracle winter shows
such as Aladdin (2005) and The Revenge
of Rumpelstiltskin (2009). This time
however, the company is on the
verge of collapse and as
the evening progresses
things gradually dis-
integrate so that
their attempts
are as fraught
with danger
and catastro-
phe as any
expedition
into the heart
of Africa!
‘It’s a story
within a story
told using com-
edy and song, and
Victorian special effects
such as Magic Lantern and
Seascapes for an authentic feel.’ says
Bill ‘For Miracle it is important to produce
entertainment for adults and children
alike, so there should be something for
everyone.’
The show is a revival of Miracle’s 1997
hit, co-written by Bill Scott and Steve
Clarke and features an exquisite set and
some authentic music hall-style costumes
by Alan and Jude Munden.
‘This refurbished version, with its
fantastic cast of comic and musical talent
- including Miracle stalwarts Ben Dyson,
Ciaran Clark and Holly Cassidy, plus Giles
King of Kneehigh and Blackfish Theatre
who will
be making his Miracle debut - promis-
es to sparkle with even greater charm’
says Bill.
Cornwall-based Miracle have been
coming to Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre
since the theatre opened in 2000 and
their performances have always gone
down very well with audiences, so
it comes as no surprise to learn that
Miracle have recently won two very
important awards. Firstly there was
the award for Best Theatre Production,
2013 from What’s On Cornwall, as
voted for by readers of the West Briton
Series, and more recently Miracle won
Gold at the Cornwall Tourism Awards
in the category Best Tourism Activity,
Sport and Experience of the Year.
‘The What’s On Cornwall Award
was for Waiting for Godot. We were
in competition with the likes of Rick
Stein and Extreme Sport Academy so
we felt really pleased.’ says Bill. ‘It was a
good way for people to hear about us in
different ways and for other nominees
in other fields to see what we do as a
theatre.’
Founded by Bill in 1979, Miracle have
built a reputation for producing inven-
tive, intelligent, and enjoyable theatre
productions that build instant rapport
with audiences. When they started they
were just a team of 3 people who put
on small scale shows at outdoor
venues throughout the sum-
mer months, mainly tour-
ing to places in the South
West that didn’t usually
put on theatre. ‘It’s
been a slow evolution.’
says Bill, of the compa-
ny that although still
small (between 4 - 7
performers and crew)
now tours year-round to
venues all over the UK.
‘Initially we received no funding
and shared income when we had
it’ says Bill ‘Now we are Arts Council
funded it has made a huge difference as
The award-winning Miracle
Theatre return to Tacchi-Mor-
ris Arts Centre in February
with Dr Livingstone, I Pre-
sume - an epic adventure
packed full of comedy and
melodrama. Artistic Director
and co-writer Bill Scott of-
fers an insight into the com-
pany and the show.

23
it opens up creative opportunities and
means we can pay industry standard
wages which in turn attracts some of the
most talented actors.’
Before becoming Artistic Director of
Miracle, Bill studied Drama and English
at Birmingham University and worked
in rep theatre in the late 1960s as a Stage
Manager and actor. He then found
himself running a business in Cornwall,
before finally returning to theatre aged
30. So what next for Miracle?
‘We have an ongoing project called
Tin - a feature film based on a produc-
tion we did a few years ago and it’s a
melodrama about banking swindles and
tin mining in the 19th century. It’s is a
co-production with English National
Opera which will hopefully be going
out to arts centre’s next spring. Next
summer we are looking to produce a
Western with a working title of The
Magnificent Three.’
By Sara Loveridge
See Miracle Theatre’s Dr Livingstone, I Presume? on Friday 13th February at
7.30pm. Tickets: £12 / £10 Concessions / £8 Students.
At Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD.
Box Office: 01823 414141. info@tacchi-morris.com. www.tacchi-morris.com.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
COSSINGTON VILLAGE HALL
TRIVETTS WAY
COSSINGTON
BRIDGWATER TA7 8LH
SAT. FEBRUARY 28th 8.00pm ( doors 7.00pm )
TRICHOTISM
Award winning pianist Craig Milverton is joined by top mu-
sicians Nigel Price ( guitar ) and Sandy Suchodolski ( bass )
to present a superb evening of jazz in celebration of the won-
derful works of Oscar Peterson,and more. Playing classic numbers from Oscar’s repertoire, including
Night Train, Hymn to Freedom, Wheatland and the title of their C.D. Trichotism, hard swinging me-
lodic jazz will be the order of the day. An unmissable evening of jazz of the highest quality guaranteed,
presented by a trio who have played many top venues and major festivals.
Reserved seats at tables £12.50 ( which as always includes tasty interval treats) from host Roger Collett
01278 451187 or email rogercollett.sounds@talktalk.net
A raffle will be held in the continuing support of Bridgwater Hospital League of Friends

24
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
The Sibelius ‘Romance for Orchestra’is aptly named,
but he originally described it simply as an Andante,
but was persuaded to change the name after several
people had suggested it’s romantic idiom.
Beethoven’s F major Romance for solo violin and
strings will no doubt be given romantic pathos under
director Mary Eade’s fingers. Sarah Wormell’s ‘Synes-
thesia, a Tryptych of Colours’ explores the neurolog-
ical phenomenon where our senses become confused
– come and hear, see or even smell the colours on the
canvases she depicts.
Modern Welsh composer Karl Jenkins’ ‘Palladio’ de-
picts the aesthetic beauty of sixteenth century Italian
architecture.
This delightful programme is completed by the well
known ‘Holberg Suite’ by Grieg, with two unasham-
edly romantic slow movements, the ‘Sarabande’ and
the ‘Air’, and an oboe concerto by Christopher Ball,
another modern composer, in which the central slow
movement ‘Aubade’ is an evocation of a peaceful Sum-
mer day in unspoilt English countryside.
3.00 Sunday 15 February at St James’ Church
Taunton Ta1 1JS Tickets from the Tourist Informa-
tion Centre 01823 336344 www.tauntonsinfonietta.
org.uk
Hayfever is set in the hall of
the Bliss Family Home. The
eccentric blisses - Judith, a
recently retired stage actress,
David, a self-absorbed nov-
elist , and their two equally
unconventional children
- live in a world where real-
ity slides easily into fiction.
Upon entering this world,
the unfortunate weekend
guests-a proper diplomat, a
shy flapper, an athletic boxer,
and a fashionable sophisti-
cate- are repeatedly thrown into melodramatic scenes where-
in their host profess emotions and react to situations that do
not really exist. The resulting comedic chaos ends only when
the tortured visitors tip-toe out of the door.
Warehouse Theatre, Brewery Lane, Ilminster
Tickets from Lanes Garden Shop Ilminster or by
phoning 07943 779880

25
January Events
3-10 Pantomime Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (some matinees-check with venue) Regal Theatre, Minehead 7.30
9 Music Simply Red Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Music Mike Denham with Julian Phillips Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
9-10 Music Do You Hear Our People Sing - Caught in the Act Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
11 Music Tamsin Waley-Cohen (Violin) and Bartholomew La Folette (Cello)
Minehead and West Somerset Arts Society
Methodist Church, Minehead 2.30
11-17 Pantomime Beauty & The Beast - The Wayfarers. Please contact for details of matinees Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
12 Talk The WW1 Sea Plane Lighter - Som. Ind. Arch. Soc North Town School, Taunton 7.30
Talk Flooding on the Levels - Somerset Wildlife Trust St George’s Sch., Taunton 7.30
14-15 Drama SPACE Fest: ‘DNA’ - Dennis Kelly. Pocket Fluff Productions Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
15 Talk Looking Hard at Degas - art talk Castle Hotel, Taunton 2.00
16 Music Reeds A Plenty Cotleigh Brewery, Wivy 7.30
Music The Bully Wee Band David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra Come to Town - Deane Big Band Regal Theatre, Minehead 8.00
Music The Mark Lawrence Trio with Tony Roberts Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
17 Dance Bring a Dish Barn Dance - Hobsons Choice Barn Dance Band Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Music Simon Mayor and Hilary James Halsway Manor 8.00
Music Madness Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
20-22 Drama The Insect Play - Kapek Brothers Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
21-25 Pantomime Scrooge - Wellington Arts Assoc. Some matinees-please check with venue Wellesley, Wellington 7.30
22 Music Bluebirds Berlin Cabaret Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster 7.30
23 Comedy Jason Manford’s Comedy Club Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Gilad Atzmon and his Orient House Ensemble Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Talk Ditch-Water isn’t Dull! - Somerset Wildlife Trust Parish Hall,Ilminster 7.30
Music Berlin Cabaret - The Bluebirds Roadwater Village Hall 8.00
Music Daniel Pogorzelski Quartet CICICIC, Taunton 7.30
24 Music The Full Monty and Gary Barlow Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Talk The Parrett Navigation North Town School, Taunton 7.30
Music Berlin Cabaret - The Bluebirds Carayford Hall, Ansford 7.30
Music The Old Swan Band Ceilidh Halsway Manor, Taunton 8.00
27-29 Drama Terms of Engagement - Martin Dimery Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
30 Comedy Lee Hurst: Things that make you go aarrgh!! Brewhouse, Taunton 8.00
Talk BACTalks: Somerset Mythology Bridgwater Arts Centre 7.30
Drama Wassail Theatre David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
Music Shakin Stevens Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Music A Tribute to Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Swing & Jive Dance Night CICICIC, Taunton 7.30
31 Music Phil Beer David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Come and Sing: Rutter’s Requiem - organised by West Somerset Singers Taunton Baptist Church 2.30
Music Berlin Cabaret - The Bluebirds Victoria Hall Radstock 7.30
Music Acoustic Music Night CICCIC, Taunton 7.00
Date Event Details Venue Time
Events in date order. Contact details for most of the venues are given at the end of event listings. Please note, we do not
take any responsibility for errors or omissions. Please confirm with venue timings and programme details.

26
February Events
1 Music Brodowski Quartet & Lydia Lowndes-Northcott (viola) Dillington House, Ilminster 2.30
2-3 Drama SPACE Fest: ‘The Monster in the Hall’ Tacchi-Morris,Taunton 7.30
4 Talk Somerset Birds - natural history talk by Stephen Moss with reference to
new Somerset Atlas of Breeding and Wintering Birds
Brendon Books, Taunton 7.00
4-7 Drama Hayfever - Noel Coward Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster 7.30
5 Poetry Poetry reading by Martyn Crucefix CICCIC, Taunton 8.00
Dance 3Fall 2015 Tour Tacchi-Morris,Taunton 7.30
5-6 Musical Grease - Richard Huish Musical Theatre Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
6 Music Cloudbusting: Kate Bush Tribute Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Concerts in the West present Martin Cousin Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
7 Comedy Laughing Cat Comedy: Tim Clark et al Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Pink Floyd Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Music Gould Piano Trio - Mineahead & West Somerset Arts Society West Somerset College 7.30
Pantomime West Group YFC Pantomime Finals 2015 Regal Theatre Minehead 2.00
Drama Giants - Wassail Theatre Company Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
8 Music 8 February -Music Festival - Final of Taunton Young Musician & Taunton
Young Singer. Please apply venue for confirmation of times.
Castle Hotel, Taunton
9 Talk 350 Years of Devon Ball Clay North Town School, Taunton 7.30
10 Talk Badgers in My Kitchen - Pauline Kidner. Somerset Wildlife Trust. St George’s School, Taunton 7.30
10-11 Dance SPACE Fest: ‘Interchange’ Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
11 Drama The Three Musketeers - Patchwork Theatre Company Regal Theatre, Minehead 7.30
Talk Ten Treasures of the Uffizi: from Giotto to Leonardo da Vinci - art talk Castle Hotel, Taunton 2.00
Music The Swinging Blue Jeans Regal Theatre, Minehead 7.30
Drama Great Expectations with Gerald Dickens Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
13 Drama Dr Livingstone, I Presume? - Miracle Theatre Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Latin Jazz Special with Conjunto Gringo Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Pavel Kolesnikov - Piano - Milverton Concert Society Milverton Church 8.00
14 Music Martyn Joseph Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Martion Simpson David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Jon Swayne, Paul James, Gregory Jolivet and Patrick Bouffard Halsway Manor 8.00
Comedy Shappi Khorsandi: Because I’m Shappi… Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 8.00
Music Jim Boyes & Belinda O’Hooley present “Sensations of a Wound” Silver Street Sessions 8.00
Music Sofya Gulyak | Rachmaninov and Russian piano music Broomfield Village Hall 8.00
15 Music ‘Romance in the Air’ - Taunton Sinfonietta St James’s Church 3.00
Music Trio Martinu | Piano trios by Schubert, Joseph Suk and Dvorak Broomfield Village Hall 3.30
16-17 Magic show High Jinx Magic, Illusion & Circus Thrills Brewhouse, Taunton 7.00
19 Drama Wuthering Heights - Butterfly Psyche Production Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
20 Music Simon Banks & Kevin Grenfell Cotleigh Brewery, Wivy 7.30

27
March Events
3-5 Variety So You Wanna Be a Star? - Year 11 Heathfield School Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
3-7 Drama Tons of Money - Taunton Thespians (2.30 matinee on 7th) Brewhouse 7.30
Comedy Pop - Christian Lee. Comedy mime and magic show. Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 2.00
5 Comedy Brazz Comedy Night Castle Hotel, Taunton 8.30
Music Jamie Smith’s Mabon Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
5-7 Drama A Fete Worse than Death -Minehead Youth Theatre Regal, Minehead 7.30
6 Music Guitar Maestro Duo: Peter Oxley and Nicolas Meier Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Talk Hugh Cornwalll of the Stranglers talks about his novel Arnold Drive Brendon Books, Taunton 7.00
Music Rob Lamberti as George Michael and The Boy George Experience Oake Manor , Taunton 7.30
Music The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Livewire Theatre Neroche Hall, Bickenhall 7.30
7 Music Mahler Symphony No 4 - Somerset County Orchestra Queen’’s College 7.30
Dance The Buffalo Gal Stampede David Hall, South Petherton 8.00
Music Two Harpsichords in Concert -The Grand Tour Dillington House, Ilminster 2.30
9 Talk Cezanne. Art talk with Jeremy Harvey. Conference Ctre, Som College 7.00
11 Drama Teechers - John Godber. Blackeyed Theatre. Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Talk TV Pyschic Tony Stockwell Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
12 Drama King John - Hammer Puzzle Theatre Company Brewhouse, Taunton 2/8.00
Music Beatles Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Music Flying Folk Evening Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Comedy Jethro Live 2015 Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
20-21 Drama The Snow Queen - Oasis Theatre and Dreams Performing Arts Regal Theatre, Minehead 7.30
20-22 Music The Leonore Piano Trio - Various times.Please check with venue. Castle Hotel, Taunton
21 Music Limehouse Lizzy Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Music Harpsichord Recital - The Attraction of the Ground with Colin Booth Dillington House, Ilminster 2.00
22 Music Devon Baroque Dillington House, Ilminster 2.30
23 Talk Watermills in the West Country North Town School, Taunton 7.30
24-25 Music An Awfully Big Adventure - Primary School musical entertainment Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.00
26 Drama Dracula - Rabbit Theatre David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
27 Music The Levels Collective folk music Bridgwater Arts Centre 8.00
Talk Bamfylde Lecture: Marion Mako on Somerset Gardens Hestercombe Gardnes 7.00
Music Country and Western Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Music The New Jersey Boys Regal Theatre, Minehead 7.30
Music Simon Spillett and Henry Lowther with The Dave Newton Trio Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Talk Introduced Species: Increased Biodiversity or Conservation Nightmare? Parish Hall, Ilminster 7.30
28 Music The Churchfitters David Hall Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Trichotism - Craig Milverton, Nigel Price & Sandy Suchodolski Cossington Village Hall 8.00
February Events (Cont

28
Talk Painters of Perfection: Fra Angelico & Piero della Francesca - M Giraud Castle Hotel, Taunton 2.00
13 Music The Busch Ensemble - Milverton Concert Society Milverton Church 8.00
Music Bookends: Simon and Garfunkel tribute Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Muisc Kimber’s Men. David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Marlene Verplanck with The John Pearce Trio Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
The Carducci Quartet - Minehead and West Somerset Arts Society Regal, Minehead 7.30
13-15 Muisc A Weekend of Mozart - London Bridge Ensemble. Apply to venue for times. Castle Hotel, Taunton
14 Opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan - Somerset Opera tour Trull Memorial Hall 7.30
Operas Pop-up Opera - Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music Spring Concert - The Phoenix Singers St John Bapist Ch., Wellington 7.30
16 Talk Comedian Tony Hawks talks about his new book Once Upon a Time in
the West Country
Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
18 Opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan - Somerset Opera tour Regal Theatre, Minehead 7.30
19 Opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan - Somerset Opera tour Warehouse Theatre, Ilminster 7.30
Drama Cell - Smoking Apples Theatre Company and Little Cauliflower Theatre
Company
Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Dance Spiltmilk say Dance David Hall, Sth Petherton 7.30
20 Opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan - Somerset Opera tour North Curry Village Hall 7.30
Drama Feather Catcher - Filskit Theatre Com. Non verbal 3+ chuildren’s theatre Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 11.00
Music The John Maddocks Jazzmen Cotleigh Brewery, Wivy 7.30
Music Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin David Hall, Sth Petherton 8.00
Music Concerts in the West present the Skazki Trio Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music Roy Orbison and the Traveling Wilburys Tribute Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
21 Music Pete Allen Jazz Band Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan - Somerset Opera tour Nether Stowey Vill Hall 7.30
Comedy Instant Wit Quick Fire Improvisation Show CICCIC, Taunton 7.30
22 Music Oasi-is Tribute act Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
Opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan - Somerset Opera tour King’s College, Taunton 7.30
Storytelling Somerset Storyfest Halasway Manor, Taunton 2.00
23 Dance Shift 2015 - Space Company dancers Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
24 Music Heathfield Easter Concert- Heathfield Senior Choir and Symphonic Winds. Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.00
25-27 Dance Spring Forward 2015 - young dancers from across Somerset. Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
26-28 Musical Travels With My Aunt Regal, Minehead 7.30
27 Music The Jazz Worriers Ilminster Arts Centre 8.00
Music BEE GEES Tribute Night Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
Music Olly Murs, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna & Beyonce Tribute Oake Manor, Taunton 7.30
28 Music Spring Concert: Mozart Coronation Mass, Handel Coronation Anthems,
Purcell I Was Glad, etc- Amici
St James Church, Taunton 7.30
Music Spring Concert - Taunton Concert Band Tacchi-Morris, Taunton 7.30
Music OAS_IS - Oasis tribute band Brewhouse, Taunton 7.30
March Events (Cont’d)
TimeVenueEvent DetailsDate

29
Art Exhibitions January/February/March
Monday 5 - Saturday 24 January 2014. Open Prize Winners Exhibition. A group exhibition showcasing the work of the winning
group of artists from the 2014 Annual Open Exhibition. The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster. TA19 0AN. 01460 54973.
www.themeetinghouse.org.uk.
Wednesday 7 January - Wednesday 25 February.Dimitris Koutroumpas: ‘Sub-Urban’ Monday- Friday 10am - 4pm. Free. Tac-
chi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. Box Office: 01823 414141.
www.tacchi-morris.com.
15 January – 11 February 2015. An exhibition of drawings and paintings by Taunton artist Norman Steel. The exhibition is
open from 9.30am – 12.30pm Monday to Saturday. The exhibition will also feature his colourful paintings both of people and
landscapes. Creative Innovation Centre CIC, Memorial Hall. Paul Street, Taunton, Somerset
TA1 3PF Tel. 01823 337477 Email: info@creativeinnovationcentre.co.uk
Monday 26 January - Saturday 7 February. The Chosen Few. A newly-formed group of artists present an exhibition featuring
oils and mixed media painting, sculpture in wood and metal, art textiles, fused glass, art jewellery and popular ceramics. The
Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster. TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
31 January - 29 March 2015. Second Site Gallery Exhibtion. Jo Lathwood, Laura Ellen Bacon, Megan Calver, Simon Hitchens,
Patrick Lowry. The Third exhibition in the Hestercombe Gallery will feature unique work from a collection of artisits.‘Second
Site’ presents new work by five artists who have responded to Hestercombe Gallery’s reclaimed spaces through exploration of
Hestercombe’s history and recent re-unification between the house and gardens. Their work encapsulates a diverse range of
media from drawing and sculpture, interventions to sound and film.
This new exhibition of contemporary work not only engages with the historic buildings and landscape but it also explores the
relationship between exterior and interior spaces, as well as builds collaborations with others that work at Hestercombe and
the surrounding areas. Hestercombe Gardens, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton TA2 8LG. Telephone: 01823 413923 www.hester-
combe.com
3 February - 28 March 2015. MA and other Post Graduates Rule. Atkinson Gallery, Millfield, Street, BA16 OYD ) tel. 01458
444322
Monday 9 - Saturday 21 February. Schools Go Visual IV. Local schools showcase their work in their fourth exhibition at IAC.
The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster. TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
16th February - 28th March. “SCAN FOUR” John Abraham, Wendy Head, Susan Wallis, Victoria Ward, members of “Somerset
Contemporary Artists’ Network” are exhibiting at The Red Brick Building, Morland Enterprise Park, Glastonbury, BA6 9FT.
www.redbrickglastonbury.co.uk 01458 899564 Open all week10am-10pm (early closing 4pm Sundays and Mondays)
Monday 23 February - Saturday 7 March. Four from the Forest. Inspired by their love of nature, ‘Four’ is an exhibition that
showcases the work of a small group of artists from the Forest of Dean. Ilminster Arts Centre at The Meeting House, East
Street, Ilminster. TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
Monday 9 - Saturday 21 March. Three of a Kind. Three distinguished contemporary artists - Brian Cox, Billie Wilcocks and Mi-
chael Jackson present an exhibition to fire your imagination with their exciting bold colours and strong and confident impres-
sionist styles. Monday - Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm. Saturday 9.30am - 2.30pm. Free. Ilminster Arts Centre at The Meeting House,
East Street, Ilminster. TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeetinghouse.org.uk.
Monday 23 March - Saturday 18 April. The Ilminster Contemporary 3D2D. An unusual and genuinely exciting opportunity
to learn more about Contemporary Art through the stunning, sometimes challenging work of some of the best West Country
artists. Visitors will be able to see how these artists have managed to make ‘the ordinary special’ in a variety of ways. Monday
- Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm. Saturday 9.30am - 2.30pm. Free. Ilminster Arts Centre at The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster.
TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. www.themeetinghouse.org.uk.

30
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 64B5493
Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4ER 01823 337742 brendonbooks@gmail.com
Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL 01823 283244 enquiries@tauntontheatre.co.uk
Bridgwater Arts Centre, 11-13 Castle Street, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3DD 01278 422 700
The Castle Hotel, Castle Green, Taunton TA1 1NF 01823 272671
Caryford Community Hall, Ansford, Castle Cary, South Somerset BA7 7JJ
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
Contacts List

31
Workshops, Courses & Classes (Jan-March)
Listings are for January- March 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.
Community Class Listings January - April 2015. for Tacchi Morris Arts Centre.
All enquiries: Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton. TA2 8PD. 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com.
Mondays:
Bolder Dance Company. A dynamic dance company for anyone over the age of 50 who wants to meet people, dance and express themselves.
The class draws on a wide range of dance styles, movement techniques and musical influences. No previous experience necessary. For ages
50+. 4 - 6pm. £2 per session / £15 per term / £30 per year. TStamp. A fun and very popular youth theatre to build confidence and improve
drama skills. For 8-10 year olds. 6.15 - 7.30pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA). Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road,
Taunton. TA2 8PD. 01823 414141. www.tacchi-morris.com.
Tai Chi. A chance to ease away the stresses of the day and remove those aches and pains. Tai Chi has proven health benefits including:
improving your balance, co-ordination and posture through gentle stretching and boosting emotional and physical wellbeing. For adults. 7
- 8pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £6 drop-in. TClassical 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).
Tuesdays:
Zoom Theatre Company. A chance for budding young performers to really boost their drama skills. This innovative theatre company in-
volves fun drama games, performance opportunities and a chance to make new friends. For 11 - 12 year olds. 6 - 7.30pm. £50 (£40 for those
receiving state benefits or JSA) / £5 drop-in. TTaunton Musical Youth Theatre. A dynamic company offering training in acting skills, vocals,
choreography and performance skills. This term the company is working towards a production of Bugsy Malone. For ages 12-16 years. 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. Blitz offers young dancers the chance to create exciting new choreography as well as performance opportunities on the Tac-
chi-Morris stage. For 8 - 11 year olds. 5 - 6pm. £40 (£30 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £5 drop-in.
Whatever Theatre Company. A new inclusive singing, drama and musical theatre company – open to all ages, abilities and levels of experi-
ence. The group welcomes disabled and non-disabled performers, adults and young people with learning disabilities, carers, family members
and anyone looking to try out something fun and new in an encouraging environment. 5:30pm - 6.30pm. Free.
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 op-
portunities. This season the company begins work on a site specific dance film and prepares new work for Spring Forward dance platform.
TYDC membership runs annually, however, the company has a couple of spaces opening in January. For ages 15 - 25. 7.30 - 9.30pm.
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. 6.15 - 7.15pm. £50 (£40 for those receiving state benefits or JSA) / £6 drop-in.
Beginners Tap. Full of variety with Tap-American and English influences, keep fit and have fun learning a range of routines. For adults. 7.15
- 8.15pm. £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 - 9pm. £90 per 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 50+. 12 - 1pm, £4 drop-in (includes refreshments).

32
Wood Street Community Choir, Taunton, meets Wedsnesdays 7.30-9.30pm in Northtown School. Fabulous mix of World
songs - pop, gospel, African, folk, spiritual etc.- taught by ear. We’re a friendly bunch, all welcome! Google ‘Wood Street
Choir’, contact 01458 250655.
Becky Wright - Redesign Your Life
Venue and Bookings: the Castle Hotel T: 01823 328303 events@the-castle-hotel.com
Friday, 6th February at 10.30am - Knowing Yourself and Detoxing Your Mind
This interactive talk will offer practical exercises for both detoxing the mind and starting to develop the mindful awareness
central to getting to know yourself better, and making a start on the life redesign process.
Friday, 6th March at 10.30am - Love and Developing Self-confidence
In this interactive talk we will explore these aspects more closely and look at ways to improve self confidence and create more
balanced relationships.
Friday, 17th April at 10.30am - Developing Real Happiness
This interactive talk offers skills and strategies that help our resilience grow. It will draw together earlier themes of mindful
awareness, love and confidence as part of building and sustaining your personal resilience and help you grow and create a
more sustainable life design for the future.
Coates English Willows - Willows Workshops
P H Coate & Son Meare Green Court Stoke St Gregory Taunton Somerset TA3 6HY
Contact Details Email: sales@englishwillowbaskets.co.uk Telephone: 01823 490249 (Mon-Fri 9-5).
January 2015 Lunch
Saturday 10th 2015 Willow Animal Sculpture Day 9.30am-4.30pm No £75.00
Saturday 17th 2015 Sowy Stitch Full Day No £25.00
Saturday 24th 2015 Living Willow Sculpture day 9.30am-4.30pm No £65.00
February 2015
Saturday 07th 2015 Spring Hare Sculpture Workshop 9.30am - 4.30pm Yes £65.00
Saturday 14th 2015 Basket Making Workshops 9.30am - 4pm Yes £85.00
Saturday 21st 2015 Duck & Goose 9.30 - 4.30pm No £65.00
Friday 27th 2015 Willow Coffin Wkshop 2 days 9.30am-4.30pm Yes £300.00
March 2015
Saturday 07th 2015 Willow Animal Sculpture Day 9.30am-4.30pm No £75.00
Saturday 21st 2015 Basket Making Workshops 9.30am - 4pm Yes £85.00
Regular classes at the Bridgwater Arts Centre: 11-13 Castle Street Bridgwater TA6 3DD
Watercolour class: Every Wednesday 10 - noon
Bridgwater Voices Community Choir: Every Wednesday 7.30 - 9pm
Bridgwater Silver Community Choir: Every Tuesday 10.30 - noon
Jazz Workshop: Every Tuesday 7.30 - 9pm
Salsa: Every Wednesday 8-10pm
Please check website for more details: www.bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk
Workshops, Courses & Classes (Jan-March)
Listings are for January- March 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.

34
By Paul Tobin
SO YOU WANT TO BE A
POET.
Some tips on how to develop
your skills
I have been trying to a poet
since I was twelve and I dreamt
my first poem. It has taken me a
long time. I have to confess that
there where periods of my life
when I was not as devoted to my
writing as I am now. There has
to be a degree of commitment.
Poems do not, in my experience,
arrive fully formed and perfect.
I derailed myself for a number of years
because I did not take the time to anal-
yse why a good poem is a good poem or
take the time to discover how it works.
This is important. You need to reflect on
your own and others work if you wish to
improve.
Here are some tips I have picked up
along the way.
* Keep a paper and pencil handy. I
always I have them with me. If you are
not ready when the idea arrive then, as
Brian Patten said: “The muse will say
Bugger you I’m off to whisper in the ear
of someone who pays attention.”
* Poetry is not simply about inspiration.
Let’s get that clear at the start. Once
you have that image, those two lines or
that idea then the real work begins. You
write out draft after draft and when you
think it is complete you revise it. And
having revised it, you revise it again.
*A word of caution, if you write on a
computer, keep the different drafts. I
write mine in a note book and when I
feel I am loosing the original idea I go
back and look at the first version. When
I think the poem can stand on it’s own I
type it up. Then I play with it some more.
* Put it away in a drawer for a couple of
weeks. Distance will grant you perspec-
tive. One thing I have learned the hard
way is never to take a poem I have writ-
ten that day to a reading. You need time
to appreciate what you have created.
* When you do look at the poem again it
will need revising.
* Ask yourself is this an idea you have
already used? Each good poem is unique.
Have you said this before and better?
* Poet Jinny Fisher asks of each poem
what is at stake here? You need to be able
to answer that for yourself, perhaps not
in the early drafts but by the time you
think it is finished. Robert
Lowell kept revising his
work throughout his life,
so it’s a moot question if a
poem is ever complete.
* Read the poem aloud, lis-
ten to how it sounds. Better
still get someone to read it
out for you.
* Join a group. Learn to give
and receive constructive
feedback. Analysing anoth-
er poet’s work in a group
will give you insight to your own work.
* Attend readings. Fire River Poets organ-
ise readings on the first Thursday of every
month at CIC in Taunton. Go along and
see how other people do it.
* Look at different poetic forms. Try and
get an idea of the mechanics of each. Then
write your own. You don’t have to show
these to anyone but they will give you an
appreciation of form.
* Read poetry, lots of poetry. Get an
anthology and read a poem a day. Take
note of how the poet constructs the poem.
It’s useful to have a knowledge of different
poets and different styles.
* Keep writing.
Writers Anon: Some tips on how to write Poetry
The fourth of the series of articles by Writers Anon on ‘how to write’.
@WritersAnonSom
writersanontaunton.wordpress.com

35
Winning entry
Let It Be by Eve Brandon
They say we know more about the moon
than the deepest reaches of the sea. May-
be that’s for the best.
Sea glass is pressed into the sand. Spots
of colour reflect through it, pale on the
mottled flesh of those working above
her, their long fingers ghosting over her
new skin. They dart quickly about her,
the vibrancy of their tails stark against
the bedrock.
Greens and whites and clay-browns
criss-crossing over her new flesh. A pat-
tern formed by their careful hands.
With a ceremonial reverence, grim in
its silence and precision, dark sand is
smoothed over the bone of her cheeks
and left to settle. Unnoticed, a red hair
ribbon is folded in with the clay, spread
through the arches of her driftwood rib-
cage, bright against the dull colours.
The spaces marked out for her nose,
lips and eyes are simple; childlike and
shadowed by the slowly darkening water.
The watchful figures moving around her
begin to dig out a throat, lining it with
the same tough kelp they used to bind
her legs together. New teeth are pushed
into her jaw, stolen from the carcass
of a shark, jutting out at violent angles
beneath her decaying lips.
When the morning comes only a few
small shells are visible on her sand-flesh,
pressed deep along her collarbones in a
grotesque parody of a necklace. A single
pearl digs hard against her sternum. The
mismatched tendons of sea creatures and
knotted plant-life move under her skin
as muscles. Her sculptors prop her gently
against the coral, their own tails flicking
behind them. Not one notices the tangle
of red ribbon.
Her head is held still; plaited net, strips
of fabric and seaweed woven togeth-
er over her salvaged skull, streaming
behind her in the currents. The one who
so carefully holds her head places two
amber beads into the sockets of her eyes.
External judge, Professor Jo Gill
from Exeter University wrote of
Eve’s winning story:
‘Absolutely astonishing! An origi-
nal, evocative, unforgettable story
of transformation and disinte-
gration (with a subtle but telling
subtext – the Irish diaspora?) Beau-
tifully written, subtle, compelling.
A wonderful story that has stuck
in my mind for days, and rewards
careful reading and re-reading.’
The Richard Huish Brunner creative
writing competition was held in
November 2014. The theme was the
Beatles. The story from the winner
of the Brunner Cup is printed in full
here following this report.
Over 150 students aged 13 to 18 from
six partner schools across Somerset
and Devon, entered alongside Huish
students. They were from Bishop Fox’s
Community School, The Castle School,
Haygrove School, Heathfield Communi-
ty School and for the first time Cullomp-
ton Community College and The Kings
of Wessex Academy.
The Brunner Cup and the Huish section
were won by Eve Brandon with ‘Let it
Be’, a story described by the external
judge Professor Jo Gill from the Univer-
sity of Exeter, as ‘an original, evocative,
unforgettable story of transformation and
disintegration.’ Joint second was Phoebe
Tootill’s ‘I’ve got a Feeling,’ which was
carefully plotted to create a strong sense
of suspense and Catt Law’s subtle narra-
tive ‘The Nowhere Man.’
Amber Mockridge, from Heathfield
School, won the partner schools section
with a dramatic monologue, ‘Lady Ma-
Something to
‘Twist and Shout’ about…
Front row: Catt Law, Fahamina Hossain (Bishop Fox’s),Amelia Davies (Heathfield), Amber
Mockridge (Heathfield), Amber Munroe-Fellowes(Kings of Wessex), Lauren Sweeting (Hay-
grove), Caroline Turner (Haygrove), Natalie Hall (Haygrove), Eve Brandon.
donna,’ that was lively and had a highly
credible voice. Kings of Wessex pupil
Amber Munroe-Fellowes was second in
this section. Her ‘Yesterday’ was a well
sustained and convincing story with a
distinct ‘groundhog day’ effect. Haygrove
School produced a number of the top en-
tries, with Lauren Sweeting and Rachael
Brown joint third.
A Presentation Evening took place on
Wednesday 26th November in the main
hall at Huish. An appreciative audience
listened to members of the English de-
partment reading extracts of the winning
entries.

36
They are clouded and worn, but glitter in
the weak light.
A mouth is pressed against her own.
Energy twitches along her fingers. Con-
fused, she lashes out. The shells of her
nails strike the face of the nearest figure,
sending sand clouds into the turbulent
water.
Now she recalls grey waves and rocks
beneath a blue sky. Blurred memories
of concave cheeks and phantom hunger
pains, triggered by thoughts of frozen
lamp oil and a blackened harvest. Stories
of a Promised Land, of fifteen stars and
fifteen stripes. She remembers slipping
from a boat, sliding beneath a wooden
rail, the dry air rushing through her hair
and the voices of humans just audible
above her. Then the shock of the cold
water. A flash of dark sky. Chipped
blue paint. A red ribbon twisted in her
hair. White bubbles stirring around her
flailing limbs. Salt water weighing on
her clothes and forcing its way into her
lungs.
Struggling for a surface that never
comes.
She thinks she might remember them
watching. Watching as she hung some-
where between life and death, their
pupils shining orange in the dark blue.
Firefly eyes filled with empty pity. She
thinks now about how they did nothing
to help, so far from any fairy-tale she had
ever heard.
A primal whisper in the back of her
empty skull tells her that this is what
they do when a human drowns.
They watch.
They wait.
They build.
Now she is like them. One of her kin
takes her wrist and directs the movement
of her hand as another body is thrown
to the arching rocks. She presses a bottle
cap into the hollow of an eye socket and
wreaths its head with a crown of urchin
spines. Another joins the shoal with one
breath to its lips, and for a moment she
feels something other than the drive to
create. It is something small and weak,
tugging at the heart she no longer has.
She has gone from creation to creator.
Time plays tricks. Coral grows like smoke
around them and iron corrodes like
melting wax.
The strange, peaceful expressions of her
kind never change, even when they see
the sluggish, flailing limbs of the drown-
ing. The streaming bubbles from fish-like
mouths do not move them. She likes to
think she does not feel, but there is a flaw
in her design, a red ribbon ties her to the
world of the breathing.
Around the time the boats of men
changed from wood to iron, she began to
stray from the shoal, leaving them wait-
ing to go to lighter waters. Now she stares
into the sunlight and lets the warmth
soak into her old bones, feeling the red
ribbon like a white hot wire along the rise
of her chest.
The call of air is too strong to resist.
Her face breaks the tension of the water.
She swims to where the rocks rise black
and jagged, draped in grey sea birds and
white snow. The skeletal remains of ships
stretch up out of the waves, splitting the
horizon into fractured shapes.
She meets land, floating beneath an out-
crop of rock, sheltered from the howling
wind in the little bay. Staring up, she
cannot help but clasp a hand to her chest
at the sight of the early morning light
on the worn rock. A starfish clings to it,
finger-like and pale; it paints a picture of
billowing skirts and ice lacing the sand.
A boat.
A brother.
A red hair ribbon snatched up by the
wind.
As she reaches out for the starfish her
fingers meet a blade of sunlight. Drying
suddenly, sand falls away from the spin-
dles of her driftwood bones. She flinches,
retreating to the darker water. She no
longer belongs. The curling slice of red
along her chest is her only reminder of
life before.
She bares her teeth at her disinterested
audience, her mind howling as not one of
them reacts, hollow eyes fixed sightlessly
on the expanse of water around her. The
ribbon feels like a noose around her neck,
suffocating her.
She can bear it no longer.
A flick of her tail and she is inches from
another set of eyes, close enough to reach
out and touch the patch of bone pushing
through sand. She clasps at the creature’s
shoulders. She looks for any trace of emo-
tions. For smile lines cracking the stone
temples, for the line of a frown to split
through the wooden bridge of its nose.
Nothing happens.
The starfish is still there when she returns,
clutching to the rock as high tide sweeps
through the bay. She lets the current carry
her to where the water kisses land, white
foam curling thorough pebbles, staining
everything it touches in darker hues. A
storm of feathers pick up around her as
she approaches the shallows, birds run-
ning from her as she swims closer to the
shore. An approximation of a smile twists
her lips at the heavy sound of beating
wings, so different from the oppressive
silence of the deep.
The space around the red ribbon seems
to ache, like cold fingers held too close
to a stove. Blinking down at it, she runs a
finger over the visible material, wonder-
ing what would happen if she was to rip
it out. The sight of the cold winter sun
pulling itself over the horizon tears her
attention away, the light filtering through
the water.
She watches.
She waits.
She pushes clawed fingers into damp
sand.
The building panic in her chest is glorious
and damning. She feels awake for the first
time in so long. Scales fall from her tail,
sand swept away by a gentle breeze coils
in the air as her body breaks apart. The
knotted nets of her joints fray and disap-
pear in the foam; the metal band from a
long-rotten barrel fails at long last, her
ribcage falling open.
Only the red ribbon remains.

37
Poetry Corner
Paul Tobin is well known in the Somerset poetry community. He has just published his third
collection, Flash Words. Three of the poems from this book are shown below. Paul has given
readings around the country. He has been poet in residence at a number of festivals Pur-
beck Folk Festival 2011, the Acoustic Festival of Britain (2012, 2014), Fishguard (2012) and
Lechlade (2013, 2014). He has read at many others.
Paul facilitates the Taunton poetry group Juncture 25 who appeared at the 2,000 Trees Festi-
val (2014). They are next reading at The Purbeck Literary Festival on the 26 February.
Paul’s other collections are Burning Music (2004) and Blessed By Magpies (2012) . He was
asked to contribute to the six poet international anthology Freeze Frame in 2012. He is also
in the Juncture 25 collection Going Places.
J.I.VING
You meet her under an umbrella.
It’s innocuous enough, a jazz concert,
you exploit my passion for cover.
She brings her husband, who she says
Once roomed with a bloke who made a CD.
No one looks at anyone else’s eyes,
you face him across a round table,
conversation is still born.
I can remember not one note,
but you two lean as close as you dare.
Confirmation plays and the husband knows it.
Outside in rain, after stilted farewells
and long last looks;
I ask you what the hell you are about.
You quote someone else’s poetry,
I shake my head and unlock the car.
John Wyndham’s Blues
Allegiances have altered.
The weather has stopped being our friend.
We can no longer count on it being on our side.
We feel its anger already,
A wettest year in memory,
the hottest summer ever recorded.
Soon it will rage,
Shake our fragile hold.
This is our future.
Deception
The names of dead babies
were allocated to policemen,
so they could live undercover,
sleep with suspects,
investigate certain people.
We are told this was in the national interest.
To lie in bed in the night
and wonder if your son’s name
has been resurrected,
to camouflage a liar,
who spies on your neighbour.
But they will not tell you.
Shape shifting, identity eating,
they attend every meeting,
always saying the right thing.
Offering and helping,
inside they are mocking,
your dossier compiling.
Who were the suspected
and exactly what did they do
to be worth the attention and budget allocation?
Did they really imperil the state?
So many questions
you will never answer...
We leave the pub for the frost and darkness
Now they wear the colours of separation
I notice as they jostle
Avoid walking next to each other
Now paired with one
I look at the ice pattern on a car roof
And how the space widens
Between the people in our group
Paul’s latest collection, Flash Words,
is available from Brendon Books,
01823 337742

38
Aged 91 I suppose I am a traditionalist,
but the St Crispian Day speech of Henry
V moves me:
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother, be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And Gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not
here
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any
speaks
That fought with us upon St Crispian’s Day !
(above is an extract for reasons of space)
My eyes blur whilst I type, tears well up.
I do not understand Latin, but I will very
happily listen to it being spoken, like the
trickling noise of a stream it is very calm-
ing and generates a sense of well being.
Finally the King James bible is a sheer
delight to read, the translated language is
unequalled anywhere else.
To me, Lawrence Olivier as Henry V in
the 1945 film, remains in my mind the
definitive edition of this play. Before leav-
ing school all pupils should have seen it.
I wrote to every head teacher of every
Taunton secondary school suggesting
this, and offering to provide the film DVD
to each school. Not a reply, or even an
acknowledgement Post card from any
school that my letter had arrived. Is a
ninety one year old allowed to comment
that manners are slipping , in my youth
this would not have happened.
I like pictures, but I am not great-
ly moved by them. If I am pressed to
nominate a famous picture, it would be
Turner’s
‘Fighting Temeraire’ on the Thames with
a sunset and mist as background. If I am
allowed to mention another – it would be
a seascape with a ship like the Cutty Sark
under full sail.
I have two melodies and lyrics which I
would ask to accompany me on a Desert
Island. The first would be Salad Days,
which I saw at the Bristol Old Vic de-
cades ago with Julian Slade at the Piano.
Part of the enjoyment was his skills and
variants within his playing. I understand
that H M The Queen’s favourite song
is “ We must never look back”, as it is
mine. Salad Days both melody, rhythm,
and lyrics are all upbeat, the sky is blue,
sunshine creates warmth, life is so worth
living, and the special rhythms’ prove it I
can’t stop dancing ! On a Desert Island it
would keep any depression away.
My second CD is inspirational, it can be
in any language, Puccini’s ‘La Boehme’.
From the first arias, “Your tiny hand
is frozen’ and ‘’They call me Mimi’ it
rolls on with two tenors voices soaring
and hitting the highest notes, with the
ultimatetragic death of Mimi, Puccini’s
music reflecting the approaching finale.
No wonder ‘La Boehme’ is universally
the most popular opera both stage and
recording . I am always in wonderment
at the sheer power of the voices of Opera
singers;
In Budapest I was midway back in a large
concert hall, A Russian singer’s voice hit
me like a spitfire engine blast. Interested,
I attended on two nights, in which time
they presented about twelve ‘Pavarotti’
class singers. Leaving I commented how
amazing to be able to afford so many
singers:
“ Sir, they said, go around to the other
end of the building, and you will find it
is a Casino, and it funds the cost”. An
idea for the UK ?
If you put Music, Song and Dance
together, then I am completely absorbed
and potentially moved by the perfor-
mance I am experiencing. On this basis
in company with millions of others
‘Les Miserable’s‘ overwhelms any other
performance.
It is the revolutionary tale it tells, the
melodies and the talented singers and
actors, and the choreography of their
movements allmerge into unforgettable
experience. ‘ Empty chairs and empty
tables’ is a moving moment following
the slaughter of the barricade. Why , if
you nominate any title of any show by
Andrew Lloyd Webber, I can immedi-
ately recite his name. Yet if you chal-
lenge me with ‘’Les Miserable’s’, I am
lost, I know that it is French, and based
on Victor Hugo, but no name springs
into my mind. Why is that !
My Favourite...
John Meikle has served as a councillor and is a director
of local company Hickley Valtone Ltd for which he be-
gan working in 1939 before war service. We asked him to
choose his favourite pieces of litertature, art, music and
performance.

39
Wellington Prep School pupil
Elliot Owen has won First Prize
the Ted Hughes Young Poets
Award. The Year 2 pupil wrote
the poem ‘My Animal A-Z’ and
submitted it to the competition
set up in memory of the late
poet laureate. The competition
was judged by acclaimed poet
Katrina Naomi. Elliot is the first prize winner in the
6-10 age category, and in addition to the prestigious
award, has also won a prize of £100.
My Animal A-Z
Apes are like monkeys but don’t live in trees.
Butterflies are colourful but don’t like the breeze.
Camels always have humps on their backs.
Ducks always make very loud quacks.
Eagles fly up high in the sky.
Frogs jump and croak but cannot fly.
Giraffes have very, very tall necks.
Hamsters might bite but cannot peck.
Iguanas like it really hot.
Jaguars have rings instead of spots.
Kangaroos jump from the outback to Perth.
Leopards are the fastest animals on Earth.
Mules are a cross between a donkey and a horse.
Newts can regenerate, but you know that, of course.
Octopi would need four pairs of wellies.
Penguins sometimes slide about on their bellies.
Quails eggs are so small, that you can eat them
whole.
Rabbits can eat carrots and dig very big holes.
Squirrels like climbing up very tall trees.
Tigers are fierce and eat anything they see.
Urchins live in the sea but not where there’s ice.
Voles are small, they’re just like mice.
Wolves keep on howling far and near.
X has no animals to write down here.
Yaks have horns and very long hair.
Zebras have black and white striped everywhere.
It was night in the village - a
still, dark night - and Harry
the Hog was sleeping tight.
In her house at the foot of
Piggyback Hill, also asleep,
was Candy Stripe Lil. The
second Harry and Lil story
from acclaimed Faber poet
Julia Copus, who has recently
turned her hand to picture
books for the first time! The
tale of a hog - and his friend
Candy Stripe Lil - kept awake by mysterious noises in the night is sure
to delight adults and children alike.
Following the success of her
first children’s picture book,
Hog in the Fog, Somerset
author Julia Copus is bring-
ing out her second Harry and
Lil book, The Hog, the shrew
and the Hullaballo. It will
be published on 5 March in
March in both paperback and
hardback and will be avail-
able from Brendon Books,
(01823 337742). Julia is also a
renowned prize-wining poet.
Her two previous collections,
The Shuttered Eye and In De-
fence of Adultery, were both
Poetry Book Society Rec-
ommendations. She has won
First Prize in the National
Poetry Competition and the
Forward Prize for Best Single
Poem (2010). She also writes
for radio; her first play, Eenie
Meenie Macka Racka, was
awarded the BBC’s Alfred
Bradley prize.

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