Landlord John invites hunt to birthday breakfast after 40 years

A HUNT meet returned to the village of Kilve for the first time in 40 years to help pub landlord John Thompson celebrate his birthday.
Members of the West Somerset Vale Hunt were invited John and Nicky Thompson to have breakfast at The Hood Arms before riding out.
Dozens of villagers also turned up to join Mr Thompson, who was 61, in seeing off the hunt.
Hunt master Deb Cossey said: “It was lovely to see the great community support.
“Riding is a great tradition which some villages have lost, so it was good to bring it back to Kilve after so long.”
Mr Thompson said: “Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves and it was great to see so many people show their support.”
The West Somerset pack hunts on Tuesdays and Saturdays between the Quantock Hills and the Brendon Hills.
n Next week, John and Nicky Thompson will be travelling ‘Around the world with wine’ during an evening which celebrates eight of the world’s best wines.
Each wine will be savoured as a wine master gives an insight into the region, flavour and characteristics of each wine.
An appropriate food dish will accompany each glass.
The event is scheduled for Friday January, 30, at 7 pm and is limited to 50 guests with admission only by ticket at a cost of £45 per head.
More information is available by calling 01278 741210 or emailing info@thehoodarms.com.

Large crowds turn out for traditional Boxing Day hunt meet

MINEHEAD Harriers traditional Boxing Day was switched for the first time this year to the town’s seafront and took place in the freezing cold yesterday.
Several hundred hunt supporters turned out for the occasion, which was held outside the Beach Hotel.
Despite a hunting ban introduced four years ago, meets by the Harriers and other hunts across West Somerset have continued to prove to be just as popular, if not more so.
Harriers secretary Tim Holt said following the sale by Barry Richards of the town centre Wellington Hotel, where the Boxing Day meet had been held for many years, it was decided to host it instead at the Beach Hotel, which Mr Richards still owned.
Mr Holt said the change was hugely popular with a larger than ever public attendance.
He said: “There must have been one of the biggest crowds I have ever seen at a meet and it was all good-natured.
“None of the ‘antis’ were there to cause any nonsense and we had a great send-off.”
Harriers vice-president Mike Padgett said: “It was tremendous to see the support we get from the ordinary public of West Somerset.
“It just goes to show what an important part the hunt plays in the local community and how valued it is as a part of everybody’s lives.”
The West Somerset Vale hunt met in Nether Stowey and also saw larger than usual crowds gather at The Cross to see them ride out, bringing traffic in the village centre to a halt as they did so.
The Countryside Alliance said Boxing Day meets across the country had generally enjoyed their largest turnouts since the hunting ban was introduced.
Countryside Alliance spokesman Tim Bonner, who leads a campaign to repeal the hunting ban, said: “There seems to be a very large turnout at all the meets.
“There is a feeling that people are coming out just to support their local hunt and the campaign for the repeal of the act. It is a very positive feeling across the country.”