Exmoor pre-school children prepare to move into new home

CHILDREN in Dunkery Pre-School will be making a fresh start later this month when they finally move into their new room.
The pre-school has been operating for more than eight years in Cutcombe First School, Wheddon Cross.
Now, Ofsted has approved the pre-school’s new premises and most of the new furniture has been delivered, including an interactive whiteboard and library.
An outdoor area is shortly due to be fenced off and covered with soft rubber flooring.
The first day in the new location is planned to be Monday, October 13.
It is part of an extension at the rear of the school which will also provide extra space in which pupils can work and where class assistants can spend time with individual children or small groups from either class without being distracted by the other children in the class.
At the moment the pre-school children have the use of the school hall on three mornings a week, which restricts the time the school can use the hall for teaching purposes.
Pre-school children also have to either walk through a classroom or around the outside of the building to use the toilets.
New toilets which are part of the school extension have also been designed for pre-school age children.
The new room provides an opportunity for the pre-school to offer more opening times.
It is also ideal for running breakfast and afterschool clubs, which is a long-term aim of the school.
Groups could also use it during the day or in the evening, such as for parents’ coffee mornings, and adult education.
The pre-school was created in 2000 after Wheddon Cross Under-Fives, which had been running for more than 20 years, amalgamated with Exford Playgroup.
Any families who would like a nursery place should contact Sheralee Matravers on 07980423053.

A feast for all at the Exmoor Food Festival 08

THE Exmoor Food Festival, an eight-day extravaganza to celebrate the area’s finest local food, starts on Saturday with the Porlock Tea Party and a produce market at Dulverton Carnival.
On Sunday, television wildlife celebrity Johnny Kingdom will be launching the Lyn Food Fest, a day devoted to sampling the great tastes of the moors.
During the festival, visitors can treat themselves to stunning views over Porlock Weir and equally stunning local produce at Andrews on the Weir.
They can relax and enjoy a pamper treatment as well as fine farmhouse fare at Hindon Organic Farm, and they can enjoy tasty treats cooked up by Minehead café Cream with fresh produce straight from Minehead Farmers’ Market.
Or, visitors can glean top tips from the chef at Dunster’s Yarn Market Hotel to take home and try in their own kitchens.
There is an opportunity to learn how to catch and cook wild food at Wimbleball, or to try Morrocan evenings in Minehead, or sample a mouth-watering meal from the award-winning Hidden Valley of the Pigs, in Barbrook, followed by an amble to see the animals at Alta Lyn Alpacas.
The food festival should include something on the menu for anybody’s taste.
Festival organiser Naomi Griffith said: “There is a great variety of venues and events across Exmoor during the festival.
“People can talk to local food producers to get the inside story on what makes Exmoor’s food the best in the world.
“We specialise in fresh local produce from the moors which has been beautifully cooked and presented.
“Customers return year after year and are always delighted to find something new and exciting on the menu.
“Dulverton Carnival, farmers markets, food fayres, and a feast of events across Exmoor make this festival must for food fans across the South West.”
The food festival runs from October 4 to 12, and programmes are available at Tourist Information Centres and at www.exmoorevents.co.uk, or by calling 01643 821425.

• Our photographs show (TOP) Keith Wicks, of the Whortleberry Tea Room, in Porlock, (MIDDLE) celebrity guest Johnny Kingdom, and (BOTTOM) a sample dish from the festival. Photos submitted.

Going, going, for £1 - a parish's unwanted red phone box

A VANDALISED and unwanted West Somerset red telephone box (pictured) has been put up for sale by telecoms firm BT for just £1.
Huish Champflower Parish Council was asked if it wanted to buy the call box on Wiveliscombe Road, but turned down the offer because of the cost of maintenance and repairs caused by vandalism.
It is one of 24 in West Somerset which BT wants to remove in a cost-cutting exercise because they have been little used in the past year.
BT said the last time the box was used to make a call was more than a year ago.
Villager John Moore, a former parish council chairman said: “The offer of £1 is purely for the phone box.
“The apparatus inside comes at a much higher price. I understand BT were looking to charge the council over £500.
“There are all sorts of other things being discussed with regards to maintenance of the apparatus, such as who would be responsible for the equipment and ensuring the public safety.”
West Somerset Council is deciding on how to respond to BT’s proposals to close little-used call boxes.
It has the power of a ‘local veto’ which would force BT to go through an appeals process before it could remove any of the call boxes.
BT has claimed there was no longer any need for the public telephone boxes because most people these days had a mobile phone they could use instead.

HOPE event for people facing prejudice or harassment

AN event is being organised next month in Dunster for anybody who has experienced or is worried about being harassed or facing prejudice because of their race, faith, sexual orientation, or disability.
HOPE - Harassment or Prejudice Event – will take place in the Tithe Barn Community Hall on Wednesday, October 8, at 1 pm.
Speakers at the event include the police, local council, Crown Prosecution Service, Somerset Racial Equality Council, and Witness Service representatives, as well as somebody with personal experience of these sorts of incident.
Information will be available about support services and crime prevention and Tthere will be an opportunity to ask questions of all the organisations involved in tackling the problem.
The day will feature display stands from agencies involved and there will be a panel of representatives who will explain how the agencies work together, as well as a victim story.
A number of discussion groups will cover topics such as
Hate crime reporting - exploring the reasons why people do not report offences and what the agencies can do to encourage and make easier the reporting of such incidents
Safety awareness for businesses – for anybody running a business to share their experiences and find out what help is available to them, and to have their say in what should happen in the future
Your experience matters - where experiences of hate crime or being part of a minority community are shared with others, and suggestions made on how everybody can affect change
The court experience – finding out what happens if somebody is called as a victim/witness to court, the help and support which is available, and suggestions for improving the system
Free transport to Dunster’s HOPE is available via community transport scheme Atwest, which will be picking up from the Williton council offices at 11.15 am, from Butlins at 11.20 am, from the West Somerset Railway, in Watchet, at 11.25 am, the council offices in Summerland Avenue, Minehead, at 11.30 am, Driftwood Café, Blue Anchor, at 11.40 am, Silvermead, Alcombe, at 11.40 am, opposite Carhampton Post Office at 11.50 am, Ellicombe at 11.45 am, and Dunster at 12 noon.
To book a place at the event or to obtain further information, call 01935 402122, or just turn up on the day.

£1 million community fund-raising challenge launches in college gardens

A CHARITABLE fund which aims to raise £1 million across Somerset by 2011 was launched at a reception in Cannington yesterday.
The Grassroots Grants Endowment Match Challenge is being organised by the Somerset Community Foundation, a Wells-based project set up in 2002 to provide a new, independent funding body to tackle poverty and disadvantage throughout the county.
Foundation director Justin Sargent said: “Our target is to raise £1 million over the next three years, which would attract an additional £500,000 from the Government.
“This is a unique opportunity for us all to build a major endowment fund for Somerset.
“It will provide much-needed long-term support to hundreds of local projects and initiatives that make such a difference to the lives of so many people.”
Clifford Hall, in Cannington College, was one of three venues across Somerset to host launch events for the effort to build a long-term community asset.
Mr Sargent said: “The events were enjoyed by all and a special thank you to those groups who helped to make the events a great success.”
More than 50 guests from the local area attended the Cannington event, including West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger and the West Somerset Business Network chairman, Sandra Wilson, from Dulverton.
They heard a talk by the college’s head gardener and were also shown around the college’s walled gardens.
Among the groups attending the Cannington reception was ALFFFA, a voluntary group providing Filipino and multi-cultural programmes and information to the community in the form of dance, song, music, food.
Also represented was the Sedgemoor Deanery Youth Project, which aims to care for and challenge young people, encouraging them to reach their full potential.
The local branch of Ups and Downs, a support group for parents and carers of children with Downs Syndrome, also took part. The charity provides face to face support, information and resources to help children reach their full potential both educationally and socially.
Mr Sargent said: “We are a unique charity in two respects. We are able to support a wide range of charitable causes across Somerset, which means we can respond to the specific and changing needs of each community, and we provide a flexible, professional and personal ‘donor service’ to a wide range of donors, enabling them to achieve their specific charitable goals within Somerset.
“At the heart of our approach is a strong belief in the importance of helping communities respond to their local circumstances in their own way.”

• Our photograph shows some of the representatives who attended the launch of the foundation’s Grassroots Grants Endowment Match Challenge held in Cannington College. Photo submitted.

Johnny Kingdom guest appearance at Exmoor Food Festival

TELEVISION wildlife celebrity Johnny Kingdom will be a guest of honour at this year’s Exmoor Food Festival.
Johnny, a poacher-turned-gamekeeper who loves his local food, will be launching the Lyn Food Fest and signing books on October 5.
Lynton will be showcasing the very best foods, wines, and drinks from unique local producers as part of the festival.
The eight-day feast of local produce starts with a tea party in Porlock on October 4, while more adventurous tastebuds should be tantalised by a Moroccan evening at The Creamery, in Minehead.
There are also workshops on how to catch, cook and eat wild food, trapping or hunting with falcons, how to prepare game, and selecting wild mushrooms and herbs during a ‘Wild Food at Wimbleball’ event.
Thef award-winning Hidden Valley of Pigs, in Barbook, features a free range rare breed herd of Berkshire pigs, while huacaya alpacas can be seen on the Alta Lyn Alpaca Farm.
Visitors can pick up top tips from the renowned chef at the Yarn Market Hotel, in Dunster, take a tour of Exmoor villages in a vintage bus to enjoy locally-sourced lunches, visit Exmoor’s secret corners on a wildlife safari followed by a sumptuous meal at the Home Cook, or browse through a crafts and local produce market before attending Dulverton Carnival.
Firm favourites such as the Porlock Food Fayre, Breakfast at the Heart of Exmoor, Styles Ice Cream Open Day, and Exmoor Dinners at Ranscombe Farm Restaurant are again also on the menu this year.
Festival organiser Naomi Griffith said: “There are eight action-packed days and nights that will delight people who are passionate about superb local food.
“From farmers markets and food fayres, cosy pubs, and intimate restaurants, to farms on the wide open moors, there will be something to delight fans of fantastic food.”
Programmes for the Exmoor Food Festival, which runs from October 4 to12, are available at Tourist Information Centres, or more information is available by calling 01643 821425, or visiting http://www.exmoorevents.co.uk/.

• Our photographs show (from the top) Johnny Kingdom; Derek de Maid, of Brendon Hill Crafts; and an Exmoor lamb dish. Photos submitted.

New appeal supports ChildLine base for Westcountry

‘LET no cry go unheard’, is the rallying call of a local fund-raising appeal being launched today which, if successful, will massively increase the capacity of the NSPCC’s Exeter-based South West ChildLine service to help children in distress.
The fund-raising drive and expansion plans are key elements of the well-known child protection charity’s most prominent appeal since it launched the Full Stop Campaign in 1999.
Called the Child’s Voice Appeal, it aims to raise £50 million nationally over the next three years to continue to run and grow its listening services - like that provided by the ChildLine base at Exeter - and also by its national helpline for adults with concerns about a child.
A launch event is due to take place in Exeter city centre at 3 pm today where thousands of bubbles will be released into the air.
The NSPCC said its plans involved building on the existing telephone services and recruiting and training more volunteer counsellors to respond to children in need of help.
Services will eventually also include counselling online and by text.
Last year, the charity answered two-thirds of calls to ChildLine and three-quarters of calls to the adult helpline.
The Government is providing £30 million towards the development of the NSPCC helplines over the next four years.
An additional £50 million raised by the public through the Child’s Voice Appeal is needed to continue running the existing services and to get the development off the ground.
The local proposals, which would cost £2.6 million to implement, could see as many as 150 counsellors based in Exeter.
It is currently the smallest of the 15 existing and planned UK ChildLine bases with around 30 trained volunteer counsellors available for shifts supervised by five experienced, paid staff.
Nationally, the expansion would allow:

• Growth of the NSPCC Helpline nationally by more than 60 per cent to counsel 18,000 more adults who have concerns about a child
• 500,000 more calls every year put through to ChildLine volunteers
• Young people to choose how they access help - by phone, online, or by text, wherever they live

Last year, the South West base counsellors counselled 2,529 young callers about everything from feeling suicidal to family break-ups.
The average length of a call is around 20 minutes but hour-long calls are not uncommon. Many callers ring more than once.
At the moment, the South West base has two shifts operating at peak times for calls on three days a week.
Outside these times, calls are routed to other bases which may or may not have capacity to deal with the calls.
Calls are routed to the nearest base available.
ChildLine South West children’s services manager Cheryl Marshall said: “ChildLine is a vital service for children so they have somebody to turn to, whatever the worry.
“Donations really will really make a direct impact in providing this service as we can provide more counsellors to counsel children, as well as allowing us to develop other ways for young people to communicate with us.
“It is important to remember, too, the children and young people who are unable to contact ChildLine themselves, be it because they are too young, or too scared.
“Whatever the reason, we want adults who are worried about a child to be able to contact the NSPCC helpline.
“The support and advice they receive calms fears, solves problems - and even saves lives.”
To support the appeal launch, a new TV advertising campaign will screen from this evening which draws on the theme of voices being heard (image above).
For further information visit: www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk or call freephone 0844 892 0562 for support with fundraising.
In April last year, ChildLine South West was able to relocate from Newton Abbot to Exeter city centre premises capable of housing expansion of the service thanks to funding from the Children’s Promise, a project jointly developed by the New Millennium Experience and Marks and Spencer.
The new accommodation is shared with the NSPCC’s Young Witness Support Service which helps child witnesses who have to give evidence in court - mostly in sexual abuse cases.

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.

Residents experience Indian restaurant’s innovation and authenticity

NEIGHBOURS and other residents in a Somerset market town have been given a preview of an innovative new Indian restaurant which has brought the authentic taste of the sub-continent to their doorsteps.
Moorkhana opened its doors in Wiveliscombe with a special preview party for local residents as a ‘thank you’ for their support in recent weeks, which included neighbours helping owners Mignon and Andrew Johnson clear up after a graffiti attack.
A formal opening event is still being planned for the family-friendly restaurant, which serves meals between 6 pm and 10 pm on Wednesdays to Saturdays and lunchtimes by prior arrangement.
The Moorkhana ethos is distinctive among Indian restaurants in the UK as its menu, which changes weekly, comprises entirely authentic dishes cooked just as they would be in most communities in India.
For instance, dishes are of mild to medium strength, and customers need to make a special request if they want them prepared any hotter.
Mignon, who is an Indian national, said: “True Indian food is not blisteringly hot, but has a range of exquisite flavours which are often lost when it is typically prepared in this country with too much spiciness.
“With Moorkhana, we are trying to dispel many of the myths about Indian food and educate our customers to better understand and enjoy what they are eating.
“We use authentic recipes which have been handed down through generations of my family, so this is how the food would taste if you were actually in India.”
Almost all of Moorkhana’s food products are organic and sourced as locally as possible, again just as they would be in India, including organic chicken from Chitcombe Farm, Huish Champflower, Thorne’s Butchers, Exmoor Ales, Cotleigh Brewery, The Wine Shed, and the organic co-operative Somerset Organic Link.
Moorkhana has already created several new jobs for the town, most of which have been filled by local people, and is also offering a training opportunity for a curry chef, of which there is a shortage in the UK.
The surrounding business community is also being supported through a function room which is available for local organisations, while each room is also used as a gallery to display paintings by local artists which are available to be purchased.
Moorkhana also operates an environmentally-friendly takeaway service, using stainless steel tiffins which customers retain and reuse each time they visit.
Moorkhana is the trading name of The Saffron Kitchen, which built a reputation across much of the Westcountry through farmers’ markets in towns such as Taunton, Wellington, Cotford St Luke, Minehead, Exeter, Crewkerne, and Glastonbury.
The business enjoys a five star environmental health rating which means it has an ‘excellent level of compliance’ with food safety regulations and is ‘highly confident in management of food safety’.
More information about the Moorkhana restaurant is available from Mignon and Andrew Johnson by telephoning 01984 623648 or by visiting the website www.thesaffronkitchen.co.uk.

• Our photograph shows Mignon Johnson (standing, centre) with some of the preview party guests, who included local BBC television reporter Clinton Rogers (standing, left) and former Kingsmead School head teacher Brian Collingridge (standing, right), who is now a parish councillor. Photo submitted.

YouTube videos of youths being arrested sparks investigation

A YouTube video of police arresting a group of youths in Minehead has been branded a ‘glorification of crime’ by the district’s police chief, Inspector Carol Pearce.
Inspector Pearce said she would investigate the internet video - taken on a mobile phone - with a view to using it as evidence in criminal proceedings.
Two poor-quality clips were posted on the social networking site, both showing groups of teenagers being confronted by police officers in the town.
In one, a youth is seen being restrained by officers while another is removed from the scene.
One member of the group is filmed smiling at an officer as he is handcuffed and arrested.
In the second clip, police can be seen moving in to tackle a gang and trying to control the youths as they show resistance.
The videos were apparently separately uploaded in June and August of this year.
Inspector Pearce said: “It is disappointing that someone finds this something to laugh at.
“An arrest is a serious undertaking and we do not take arresting people lightly.”
West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said: “It is glorification of crime and makes people think it is okay to get arrested, film it, and post it as a sort of hero’s charter.
“I advise people not to do this because it is not clever and in many ways makes people think it is okay to be anti-social.”
Somerset West divisional Supt Damian Kearney called on anybody who had any video footage which could help the investigation to contact police.
Supt Kearney said: “The fact that people see it as some sort of amusing part of their day to watch is concerning.
“I do not know the facts of these incidents but ultimately there is usually a victim and I would rather people’s efforts were placed on bringing offenders to justice than getting some sort of titillation by uploading it to a film-sharing website.”

• Our photograph shows a still from one of the YouTube video postings.

Eviction threat for Quaywest over two years of unpaid rent

WEST Somerset radio station Quaywest 102.4 FM could be evicted from its harbourside studios in Watchet for failing to pay rent on the building.
The station, owned by Darlington-based Laser Broadcasting, has not paid its landlord, West Somerset Council, for the past two years.
The rent was fixed at a nominal £50 a week by the council while the station’s East Wharf location was to be redeveloped, with Quaywest assured of being re-homed once the new development was completed.
But Laser has not paid the council since 2006 and now the authority is taking legal action to recover the money which could end with Quaywest’s eviction.
In addition, the radio station is understood to be in arrears with its business rates, while staff are said not to have been paid since July, and its internet presence has been on and off at different times.
The Post reported in April how Quaywest was battling for its future in the face of financial troubles which were afflicting Laser, although the company strongly denied at the time that it was in trouble.
Council corporate information officer Tom Bown said: “Quaywest has not paid the council any rent since 2006, despite efforts to get them to do so and assurances by the station that it would.
“We feel it is not fair this company is expanding on a national level at the expense of the local taxpayers in West Somerset.
“With regret, we have been left no option other than to take legal action.”
Laser Broadcasting owns eight other stations around the country, including a sister Quaywest station in Bridgwater, formerly called BCR FM.
The others are Bath FM, Brunel FM, three Sunshine-branded stations in Ludlow, Hereford and Worcester, and Hereford/Monmouth, Fresh Radio, in the Yorkshire Dales, and 3TR, based in Warminster.
One of the founders of Laser in 2002 was Nigel Reeve, who was the launch sales and marketing director of Classic FM.
Nobody from Laser was available for comment.

Severn Estuary reef 'greener and more powerful' than barrage plan

AN alternative to proposals for an energy generating barrage across the Severn Estuary has been put forward by a Cornwall company which instead wants to build a ‘Severn Tidal Reef’ from Minehead to Aberthaw, in Wales.
The new scheme (illustrated, right, and below) is being promoted as a ‘totally new concept in tidal power generation’, by Joseph Evans and Sons Ltd, of Launceston.
Company owner Rupert Evans said the 12-mile reef plan was a ‘greener’ alternative a proposed 10-mile barrage between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare.
Mr Evans said construction of the reef would not harm birds, fish, or shipping movements and would ensure fish species were unharmed by allowing safe passage through its proposed wind turbines.
The scheme is among 10 projects which the Government is assessing in an ongoing feasibility study into Severn Estuary tidal power.
Mr Evans said: “The reef was designed specifically to not harm the environment.
“I am even confident a canoeist would be able to pass through the turbines unhurt as they are slow moving and large.
“The reef is not being opposed by the Stop the Barrage Campaign or the various fishery groups because it is specifically designed so as not to cause damage to birds, fish, or to hinder shipping.
“The Severn Tidal Reef Project is a totally new concept in tidal power generation with the prospect of being environmentally benign.”
Mr Evans said the reef would generate as much, or even more, electricity than the Cardiff to Weston-super-Mare barrage.
It would include low visual impact and disruption, reduced risks of flooding, and maximum power generation.
“Unlike other monolithic tidal barrages designed to hold back the full height of the tide - the second highest in the world - the reef works with only two metres of fall but ‘slices off’ the power over a much longer generation period that is much easier to match to the peaks in electricity demand,” said Mr Evans.
“The full range of the tide is harnessed by a large number of simple low-head turbines along the 12-mile route.
“Massive, yes, but more economical in materials than the barrage or the ‘lagoon’ proposal, on account of the shape of the structure and very low pressure difference.
“The small difference in level between the sea and the estuary is critical when it comes to shipping, which can pass through opening sections of the reef on their way up to Avonmouth, a port in the midst of a massive redevelopment plan to accommodate the latest generation of container ships, and where any delays can be very expensive.
“The small difference in level also facilitates the safe passage of salmon and other fish through the special turbines, something that is not possible with conventional turbines with their high pressure drop and sharp-edged high-speed runners (rotors).
“Another unique feature is the ‘Active Tidal Control System’ that would allow the modification of the high water levels from tide to tide.
“A sophisticated computer system would know what high tide, even storm surge, was expected, and optimise the power extraction or free flow of water through the barrage to best meet the peaks in power demand, meet the navigation depth requirements for particular ships, and protect the wildlife and habitats by obtaining the right degree of variation in water levels.”

Reward is posted to catch Watchet graffiti attacker

POLICE in partnership with West Somerset Council have appealed for the public’s help following a number of incidents of graffiti in Watchet last month.
On at least four occasions the damage was caused by using spray paint on walls and houses in Goviers Lane, The Esplanade, and the Henry Davey playing fields.
Police said there was no distinct pattern to the graffiti attacks.
The council has agreed to offer a reward for information leading to the identification of the offenders, subject to a successful prosecution.
Police would like to hear from anybody who may be able to assist with information about the incidents.
They should contact Watchet Police Station on 0845 456 7000 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, or use the secure Crimestoppers form available online at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.

Exmoor activities lined up for Tour Britain spectators

A HOST of events and activities in Exford and Dunster has been announced for the day when the Tour of Britain cyclists race through the area next month.
The events will help to celebrate a spectacular day of excitement and entertainment as the world’s best cyclists, including British Olympic Gold medal winners Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas, descend on Exmoor on September 9.
In Exford, the entertainment will start in the morning when local people and businesses take part in a fancy dress cycle ride.
Lots of activities will take place on the village green, including a falconry display, live music, Exmoor ponies, a barbecue, skittles, bale throwing, an egg and spoon race, a photography competition, and a display of international flags to represent the 16 teams taking part in the race.
Exford School will also be involved and there will be two craft marquees with many more activites and things to see.
Exford is an ideal place to watch the cyclists mid-race, as they arrive from the direction of Withypool at around 12.45 pm and then head towards Wheddon Cross.
The narrow medieval streets of Dunster, with its castle and the picturesque Yarn Market, provide an idyllic backdrop for the race as it thunders through at around 1.25 pm.
Visitors should arrive early, however, to enjoy activities being held from 11 am to 3 pm, including Rollapuluza cycle roller racing which has been organised by local businesses together with Active Exmoor and Somerset County Council.
It is a fun and easy version of cycle racing which will give participants an opportunity to find out if they are ‘faster than Chris Hoy’, the British triple Olympic Gold Medal winner, with prizes on offer to the fastest riders.
Cliff Nicholson, of Spears Cross, in Dunster, and William Wake, of Dunster Castle, have helped organise the roller racing.
Mr Wake said: “With so many visitors coming into the village to watch the tour pass by, we felt we had to provide some entertainment and cycle roller racing is ideal.
“Cyclists will readily want to race, but more importantly visitors, just here to watch the race, will be egged on by friends to have a go.
“Cycling is an up and coming sport in the UK and this is an ideal opportunity to encourage people to try it.”
Somerset County Council has also organised a free park and ride coach scheme from Vulcan Road, in Minehead, to make it easier for people to visit and enjoy the day.
The park and ride will operate from 10 am until 4 pm.
The county’s economic development portfolio holder, Councillor Alvin Horsfall, said: “I am very excited about the day, which is not far away now.
“I hope that people get there early and enjoy all the fantastic things there are to do.
“It promises to be one of the best days of the year for Somerset.”
Somerset County Council is hosting the South West stage of the Tour of Britain, which will start in Chard and finish in Burnham-on-Sea.
The race, which is the toughest stage of the tour, is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the county.
Participants include Mark Cavendish, the only Briton to win four stages of the Tour de France in a single year.
More details about the events or more information about the race, including road closures, can be found by visiting http://www.bikesomerset.co.uk/.

• Our photograph shows some of last year’s Tour of Britain riders passing along the Exmoor coast. Photo by Guy Harrop www.guyharrop.com.

LETTER: Thanks for making cancer care cards

Dear Editor - I would like to say an enormous thank you to everybody who has so generously spent time designing and making unique cards in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care this year.
Each year, Marie Curie Cancer Care runs the Create a Card for Cancer Care campaign in partnership with ‘do crafts’, the website and magazine for crafters.
We call upon our supporters to create one-off cards which are then sold in Marie Curie Cancer Care Shops across the UK for £1 each.
This year alone, we received a record-breaking 111,400 cards, and I would like to call on your readers to go along to their local Marie Curie Cancer Care shop and buy one of these bespoke cards.
All the money raised will help Marie Curie Nurses like me care for terminally ill people in their own homes, allowing them to spend their final days with the people they love the most.
Lorna Clarkson
Nursing Ambassador of the Year for England
Marie Curie Cancer Care

Hospital award for helping children with life limiting illnesses

SUZANNE Heayns, a play specialist in Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, has won the title of August employee of the month for her work with the COMPASS team.
The COMPASS team work with children and families with life limiting illnesses across Somerset.
Suzanne was nominated because of the work she did to organise a weekend in Huish Woods for children who have brothers or sisters who are unwell.
The weekend was so successful that the team now plan to make it an annual event.
Dr Chris Clinch, clinical psychologist at Musgrove, said: “I nominated Suzanne for this award because she showed such dedication to this project and organised it with creativity and vision.
“She wanted to give these children a chance to meet, play, and talk with other children who are going through the same experiences.
“It is well known that siblings are more likely to experience emotional problems and get less attention as families are so burdened.
“This weekend successfully represented a positive and empowering experience for the young people involved and the time given by Suzanne and her team members was indeed above and beyond the call of duty.”
Suzanne, who lives in Kingston St Mary, will in October have worked for 20 years at Musgrove, which is run by the Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
She said: “I was really pleased and surprised when I learnt that I had won employee of the month.
“It came completely out of the blue.
“I love my job and do find it very rewarding, but I am also very pleased that the important role of the play specialist within the paediatric department has been recognised in this way.”

• Our photograph shows Suzanne Heayns (right) receiving her award and flowers from foundation trust chairman Ros Wyke. Photo submitted.

Bike building workshops help former young offenders find jobs

FORMER young offenders are being given the skills to put their working lives into gear as part of Somerset County Council’s Geared Up project.
The county’s Youth Offending Team (YOT) has established the project, which invites young offenders to develop their social and mechanical skills repairing mountain bikes.
Geared Up encourages team working, and provides participants with valuable skills which can lead to employment.
The young people attend weekly workshops and work in pairs to repair and rebuild second hand bikes.
The sessions teach patience and co-operation as well as the practicalities of bike-building.
Geared Up participant Luke joined the project after being excluded from school and finding himself in trouble with the police.
He used the skills taught in Geared Up to find employment, and now volunteers to assist others on the project.
The scheme is open to those who have been through the Young Offenders programme, and are not in education, training, or employment.
The workshops are held in Bridgwater and a limited number of spaces are currently available, details of which can be obtained from Emer NcNicholl, YOT operational manager on 01458 440820.
Geared Up has received £7,500 from the Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) which has funded the equipment, tools, and bike components used to date.
It is awaiting accreditation under the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN), which will enable the project to provide nationally-recognised qualifications to the young people involved, which will provide a boost to their CVs and improve their chances of securing a good job.
Emer McNicholl said: “Young people have greatly benefited from Geared Up, and their achievements have inspired them to make positive changes in their own lives.
“It is great to see former young offenders like Luke putting their troubled pasts behind them and helping others to do the same.”
Councillor Pauline Clarke, the council’s portfolio holder for strategic services for children and young people, said: “Somerset County Council is proud to champion the Geared Up project, which enables former young offenders to gain valuable skills and change their lives for the better.
“The council is committed to developing a high quality of life for the people of Somerset, and this project ensures a brighter future for both the young people involved and the community as a whole.”
Completed bicycles will be distributed to disadvantaged young people and victims of crime once they have been tested for road safety.

• Our photograph shows YOT youth justice worker Nick Foulkes (left) helping young people at a Geared Up workshop. Photo submitted.

Vulcan Road - Morrisons beats Tesco and ASDA to supermarket deal

SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons is set to buy Minehead’s Vulcan Road car park site from West Somerset Council for nearly £8 million.
The council, which has suffered a financial crisis since the Independent group took control after last year’s elections, has chosen the firm as its preferred ‘anchor retailer’ for the site, which is close to the town’s Tesco supermarket.
Morrisons is likely to build a ‘medium’ size supermarket together with a petrol filling station, and will also provide 14 coach parking bays to support the area’s tourism transport needs.
The Bradford-based company has outmanoeuvred rivals Tesco, which was favourite to acquire the site, and also ASDA, which had been closely linked with it previously.
The council decision is seen as bowing to the influence of the Direct pressure group which supported many of the Independent candidates in last year’s elections.
Direct opposed allowing a supermarket into the town which would have competed with existing shops selling ‘white goods’ and electrical goods such as refrigerators and televisions.
Morrisons, which has 375 stores around the country serving 10 million customers a week, is a food specialist with only a limited range of other products such as music CDs, toys, and garden furniture, as well as its petrol stations.
The firm led the way with fuel price cuts which have seen the cost of a litre of petrol fall back by up to 12p in recent weeks.
District council leader Councillor Keith Ross said: “Last year’s consultation with local people and businesses prior to the meeting played an important part in reaching this decision.
“Residents wanted to see an alternative supermarket to improve their choice of where to shop, and businesses did not want to see A1 retail development on the site.
“While the bids submitted have broadened since the consultation and the economic situation has changed, we have listened to, and abided by, local people’s wishes.”
The Vulcan Road consultation undertaken at the end of last year showed more than 40 per cent of respondents wanted to see a supermarket on the site, with only slightly more than seven per cent favouring a larger Tesco.
The local business community, headed by electrical goods shopkeeper Graham Sizer, did not want to see A1 retail development on the site as they felt it would be detrimental to the town centre.
Councillor Ross said: “While Morrisons was not among the supermarkets that originally expressed an interest, it submitted a very competitive bid that matched the aspirations of the majority of local people.
“We are looking forward to working with our partners to bring positive changes for Minehead and the villages it serves.”
The option selected will provide a supermarket with a net sales area of 23,254 sq ft with an 18,000 sq ft limitation on convenience foods, and 261 customer car parking spaces.
The council will now enter a three-month exclusivity period with Morrisons during which further negotiations will take place, and anticipates that contracts will be signed in November.
Members of the council debated for 90 minutes last night before reaching their decision, which was approved with only one abstention.
The prospect of another petrol station in Minehead was generally welcomed as the town and neighbouring villages were rural and many people depended on their cars for transport.
There was broad agreement the petrol station would bring more competitive prices and that in the event of another strike or fuel shortage, the supply to residents would be more secure.
Morrisons proposes to build the supermarket so it is oriented toward the town centre to encourage inward trade to the town.
Councillors expressed a wish to see footpaths linking with the other elements on the industrial site and the town, so all businesses could have the opportunity to benefit through better access.

LETTER: Grow a tache to help fight male cancer

Dear Editor – I am writing as an ambassador for the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign with some tips for you men out there.
There's nothing that us ladies like more than a man who will put their money where their mouth is and have some fun for charity.
Everyman’s TacheBack campaign, a fund-raiser where men ditch their razors and grow a sponsored moustache throughout September, gives you boys the ideal opportunity to do just that.
All money raised goes to funding important research into testicular and prostate cancer, diseases which affect 37,000 men like you every year.
So, visit www.tacheback.com, get growing, and you might get more than just a moustache to be proud of - you might just manage to lure a lovely lady.
Happy growing!
Sarah Champion
Virgin radio presenter and TV star

Survey asks residents for opinion on state of West Somerset

AGENCIES across Somerset have joined forces to find out what matters to local residents in West Somerset.
A new survey, known as the Place Survey, is taking place next month to ask people at randomly selected addresses for their opinions on the current state and their future hopes for the district.
West Somerset Council leader Councillor Keith Ross said: “It has been recognised that no single organisation can tackle complex issues such as reducing crime or achieving sustainable development without support from its partners.
“We hope residents welcome this new approach in identifying what matters to local people.
“We are asking people to complete the questionnaire and return it to us so that we can tackle the issues that people care about.”
Each district needs a minimum of 1,100 responses to validate its research.
The survey results will be available next January and the Place Survey will be carried out again in 2010 to track changes in perceptions and to monitor if any improvements have been achieved.
The West Somerset survey, which forms part of a national survey, is being undertaken in partnership with the five other principal local councils in the county, Somerset Primary Care Trust, and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.