10Parishes Festival finishes with a flourish

A NINE-day celebration of the arts ended in truly festive spirit as thousands of people flocked to Wiveliscombe town centre for a street market and weekend of local food, drink, and entertainments.
The annual 10 Parishes Festival, which ran in Wiveliscombe and the nine surrounding parishes from September 8 to 16, has become a major biennial arts and community event, involving more than 100 artists and more than 150 events.
The weekend’s activities included everything from open art galleries to sculpture gardens, and drama to singing.
On Saturday, West Street, Wiveliscombe, was closed to traffic as an estimated 2,000 people watched the town’s carnival and visited stalls selling a variety of local food, drink, and crafts - plus music and entertainment.
Festival director Pauline Homeshaw said: “It is our third festival and has been better than ever.
“It has grown into a wonderful celebration of art and community. It has been fantastic.
“Now we are looking forward to the next festival.”
The Festival Market - a first for the event - saw local shopkeepers and food and drink producers set up stalls under green and white striped canopies, with everything from chocolate to smoked trout, and local beer and craft cards to jewellery.
People of all ages thronged the street and the nearby The Square to enjoy drinks and food from the stalls and outdoor cafes.
They also sat in Jubilee Gardens and listened to bands, watched Kingsmead Community School drama group, or tried their luck at belly dancing.
A Wheelbarrow Carnival in aid of 10Radio saw 20 barrows parading through the street and to the Recreation Ground, with adults and children dressed in all kinds of inventive garb, preceded by the youngsters of Wellington Majorettes.
Jed and Sam Dove, of Wiveliscombe, won the best float for their ‘Dr Who’ theme.
Stalls did a roaring trade, with many rushing to bring in more stock or selling out, while artists in all nine parishes reported excellent results from their nine days of exhibitions.
One stallholder, Richard Robbins of Nutcombe Chocolates, Minehead, said: “It has been a very relaxed atmosphere, plenty of people, a very nice variety of stalls with local shops involved too - I have really enjoyed the day.”
Tim and Carrie Parker, of Wiveliscombe, said: “There was a great crowd, tremendous stalls, and it was good to see so many people enjoying themselves and meeting up with friends. We were very impressed.”
Throughout the weekend other events and exhibitions carried on around the parishes of Ashbrittle, Bathealton, Brompton Ralph, Chipstable and Waterrow, Clatworthy, Fitzhead, Huish Champflower, Milverton, and Stawley.
For one of the youngest exhibitors, Sam Jeffs, aged 18, who had just completed a National Diploma in Fine Art, at Somerset College, it was an opportunity to have his work seen and his Minotaur made from scrap metal was a landmark piece at the Spring Grove Market Gardens, in Milverton.
Bathealton saw a constant stream of visitors to see the Ark Has Landed - 25 pairs of animals created by villagers, as well as the colourful silk banners around the church and paintings by well known professional artists, including Tilly Willis and Antonia Myatt.
With drama, writing, and workshop events throughout the weekend, the festival celebration ended on a high on Sunday night with The Demon Barbers, a nationally known vocal harmony cabaret show, an event which was sponsored by Wiveliscombe and District Rotary Club.
More information about the festival can be found by logging on to http://www.10parishesfestival.org.uk/ or calling 01984 624564.

Exmoor Food Festival finishes another year in style - now booking for 2008

THE annual Exmoor Food Festival finished in a feast of activity at the Porlock Food Fayre when more than 750 visitors sampled the best of Exmoor food and drink from 27 local producers.
The ever-popular ‘Exmoor Breakfast’ in the Moorland Hall, Wheddon Cross, served around 230 breakfasts on both Sundays of the festival, and earned its place as a firm favourite in the festival calendar.
An open day at the sheeps milk ice cream producers, Styles, in Rodhuish, was also a hit with visitors, and a new addition to the festival, the Lyn Food Fest and Treasure Hunt proved to be a big draw for both visitors and local people.
Food festival organiser Kate Harris said: “This year has proven to be even more successful than ever. Plans are already under way for next year’s events.”
Any local producers who want to take part in next year’s festival should contact Somerset Food Links on 01458 241 401 to book their place.
The festival was sponsored by DJ Miles Tea and Coffee Merchants and featured locally-sourced sausage sizzlers, succulent roasts, medieval banquets, seafood and game dishes.
The Saffron Kitchen offered hands-on sessions for visitors to learn how to give local produce an exotic Indian twist, or there were Mediterranean-style meals available at the Royal Oak, in Porlock.
Cider making, wine tasting, and a tour of Cotleigh Brewery were also available, while DJ Miles Ltd opened the doors to its unique tea and coffee blending shop in Porlock.
A Fair Trade Supper with African dance night was held in Monksilver and an Exmoor horn lamb tasting took place in the Culbone Inn, near Porlock.

• Customers who took part in a survey of Exmoor Horn lamb at four leading restaurants across Exmoor gave it a big thumbs up and scored it nine out of 10 for its eating quality.
  The results of the survey were announced at the lamb tasting day by the Exmoor Horn Sheep Breeders’ Society.
  Visitors to the event were treated to delicious local Exmoor Horn lamb served in a Somerset mixed herb bap, especially created for the food festival and the lamb tasting day by The Avenue Bakery, Minehead, and accompanied by roast potatoes.
  In the survey, eight lambs from Exmoor farmer JR Richards and Sons were slaughtered and butchered locally by Combe Martin Meats and supplied to four leading restaurants across Exmoor which specialise in serving local produce.
  The participating restaurants, Andrew’s on the Weir, in Porlock Weir, Exmoor Forest Hotel, in Simonsbath, Tarr Farm Inn and Restaurant, at Tarr Steps, and Woods Bar and Restaurant, Dulverton, asked diners who chose lamb off the menu to complete a brief questionnaire at the end of their meal, and more than 100 forms were completed.
  Ian Rigby, the society’s meat marketing consultant, said: “These results reinforce what many of us who eat Exmoor Horn lamb have known for years, that lamb produced from this breed that is naturally reared in its native surroundings is very special and tastes absolutely fantastic.
  “We are now working on developing an Exmoor Horn brand for both lamb and mutton so people will be able to identify and buy these meat products in the future.”
  Exmoor Horn sheep and their ancestors have roamed the hills of Exmoor for centuries and have long been prized for the eating quality and flavour of its lamb and mutton.
  At the beginning of the last century the meat was much sought after by some of the most prestigious restaurants in London.
  As farming systems changed and became more intensive, however, with the post-war quest for cheap food, traditional breeds like the Exmoor Horn became less popular and numbers declined.
  Exmoor farmers never lost faith in their native breed and through a strong breed society, formed over 100 years ago, they improved the breed and maintained commercial numbers to the current level of 19,000 registered breeding ewes.
  The society’s chairman, Pauline Lyle, said though a long standing traditional breed, the Exmoor Horn was in no way a rare breed, and when crossed with a Bluefaced Leicester ram the resultant Exmoor Mule was considered to be one of the most productive sheep around.
  Exmoor National Park Authority has also recognised the importance of the breed as an integral part of Exmoor’s heritage by awarding the society funding to maintain and increase flock numbers on the moor, through the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund.
  
• Our photographs show some of the exhibitors at the Porlock Food Fayre: From the top - Nutcombe Chocolates, Brendon Hill Crafts, Cranfields, Dunkery Vineyard. Photos submitted.