Back to the Future for rural schools : Victorian-style classes feared

SCHOOLS built by the Victorians in some of West Somerset’s rural communities could soon be forced to again deliver teaching in Victorian-style classes.
The step back to a teaching style of 150 years ago could be forced on small schools by funding proposals being considered in the New Year.
It could mean schools such as Exford Church of England First School being reduced to a single class where all the children from the ages of four to nine years were taught together by the school’s only teacher.
Similarly, Dulverton Middle and Community School could find its nine classrooms cut to six, with subsequent redundancies among the teaching staff.
Governors of the two schools are fighting the proposed changes to the way in which funding is allocated to schools throughout Somerset.
The county council is due to decide on January 16 on a package of 11 proposals.
One of those who will be attending that meeting to address councillors is the chairman of the governors of the Federation of Exford and Dulverton Schools, Dr Brian Martin.
The federation, which was only formed in April of this year as a result of county council pressure to cut the costs of running small schools, also includes Dulverton All Saints Church of England First School.
Other schools which have federated under recent county council pressure include Cutcombe and Timberscombe First Schools, as well as Danesfield Middle, Williton St Peter’s First, and Old Cleeve First Schools.
A ‘soft governance federation’ was put in place for Minehead Middle, Porlock St Dubricius, Minehead St Michael’s, and Dunster First Schools.
Crowcombe and Stogumber Primary Schools also federated in a separate move.
Nevertheless, the county council has highlighted the fact that the cost of running its small schools is still in the top 100 of the most expensive schools per pupil in the country.
Dr Martin said the new funding proposals were finance-driven and did not take any account of need to bed in recent federations and make them work properly.
He said the council wanted to spread its education cost per pupil more evenly across all schools and one way of doing so would be to reduce the ‘small schools protection’ which currently guaranteed a minimum of two classes for schools with 60 or fewer pupils.
Dr Martin said the moves would leave schools such as Exford ‘vulnerable’ and could even lead to closure.
He said: “We think that this is a step back to Victorian times almost.
“It really does not pay any heed to the ‘Every Child Matters’ policy that has been pushed forward by the Government.
“And ‘individual learning’ just goes out of the window.
“It puts small rural schools in a very vulnerable position.”
Dr Martin said the knock-on effects could see small and middle schools unable to teach the national curriculum to the right standard, meaning pupils would move on to the West Somerset Community College still requiring to be brought up to the right level of education for their age.
There was a further risk that some West Somerset parents might move to another area in order to secure a better education for their children, or that parents would be put off moving to live in the district, thereby causing a fall in pupil numbers and making schools even more vulnerable.
Dr Martin said some pupils as young as four and five years were already making a journey of 40 minutes to reach schools on Exmoor.
If the schools closed, the only alternative would be an even longer journey to a town school.
He said: “It is not like an urban area where you may be able to close a school and still have reasonable travel times to an alternative. There is no alternative on Exmoor.
“We are making a plea that there is an exception in this area for small rural schools which serve their communities.”
Dr Martin appreciated some schools, such as Danesfield Middle, in Williton, might benefit overall from the proposed changes and it was likely that Somerset’s larger schools would support the new funding regime.
But he said: “We would hope they appreciate that they are part of a whole school system here, where we all feed through to the community college and secondary education, and would want strength in the whole system.”
Dr Martin said making teachers redundant in Dulverton Middle School would result in a loss of specialist skills and make it near-impossible to deliver the school’s highly regarded Exmoor Curriculum.

• Our photograph shows Exford Church of England First School. Photo submitted.

Lottery grant means play facilities for rural children

A £200,000 National Lottery windfall means play areas and mobile rural play facilities can be developed for children in West Somerset.
The district council has secured the cash for its play strategy from the Big Lottery’s Children’s Play Programme.
A similar £208,682 grant went to Taunton Deane Borough Council, while Sedgemoor District Council was awarded £230,000.
West Somerset portfolio holder for children and young people, Councillor Eddie May, said: “We are delighted at the successful bid because of the huge benefits play facilities bring to children’s enjoyment, well-being, and health.
“This is the culmination of a lot of hard work from officers and partners, and we are really pleased at the positive outcome.
“This money has not been secured for the council, but for our children’s futures.
“With our play strategy, we will be able to encourage and support communities and individuals to improve their quality of life by identifying and providing better opportunities, particularly for children.”
Three projects in the council’s play strategy will benefit from the grant, including the appointment of ‘play rangers’ which will be delivered in partnership with Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor.
The councils will employ a team of play rangers to oversee the development of play facilities.
A second project is the development of Cross Farm Park, in Alcombe, to offer better play facilities for children, which will be delivered in partnership with Minehead Town Council.
Most of the district’s rural areas will also benefit from the boost which will be provided for mobile play facilities.
Leisure, culture, and recreation portfolio holder Councillor Neil Parbrook said: “This is a welcome boost for children’s facilities in the area.
“Play is a vital part of children’s development and this will help provide them with a stimulating environment to grow up in.”
The Lottery grant provides funding for the projects for the next three years.
District council’s community specialist for children, young people, and culture, Janice Malarkey, said: “I am delighted with the result of the Lottery application. We are looking forward to working with the play partnership to successfully deliver these projects, which will greatly benefit children and young people in West Somerset.
“We would like to thank the play partnership, Play England, and Barnardos for their hard work and support during the production of the play strategy, which can be found on the West Somerset Council website.”
Taunton Deane leisure executive Councillor Richard Lees said: “I am delighted that we have obtained this amount of money and in partnership can now plan to provide a play structure for young people.
“Play is so important in creating imaginative minds, and being physically active in a controlled environment, allowing children to be themselves and enjoy their childhood.”
Wiveliscombe, Milverton, and Norton Fitzwarren will all be among the villages to benefit from the project.
For more information on the play partnership in West Somerset, log onto www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk or contact Janice Malarkey on 01984 635238 or email Janice on jmalarkey@westsomerset.gov.uk.

• Pictured at Cross Farm Park, Alcombe, are (left to right) West Somerset Strategic Partnership chairman Loretta Whetlor, Minehead Town Council clerk Sue Sanders, CLOWNS chairman Jan Ross, district council community specialist for children Janice Malarkey, and leisure portfolio holder Councillor Neil Parbrook. Photo submitted.


• Mind in Taunton and West Somerset has received a £1,070 grant from the National Lottery’s Awards For All scheme.
  The money will be put toward an IT work area in the Peace of Mind day project, allowing service users access to online resources and word-processing and printing facilities.
  One-to-one training will also be available for those who are less computer literate.

Pupils leave classroom behind to learn firefighting skills

A GROUP of West Somerset pupils have passed out as honorary firefighters after completing a Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service training scheme.
The youngsters, who attend 24/7@PeritonMead School, in Minehead, have been attending the brigade’s Firebreak scheme on one day a week during the past school term.
The course was run at Martock Fire Station, near Yeovil, and also attended by pupils from Buckler’s Mead School, Yeovil, who also passed out.
The trainees were inspected by Assistant Chief Fire Officer Neil Gibbins, and were presented with certificates in front of local dignitaries including the Mayor of Yeovil, Councillor Tony Lock, and family and friends.
The passing out - equivalent to a graduation day - allowed the youths to demonstrate some of the skills they had learned, such as how to use pumps, hoses, and ladders.
The Firebreak trainees also learned how to work together to help each other through the challenging course.
Firebreak is aimed at youngsters who ‘do not quite find everything they need in the classroom’.
Students are issued with uniforms and fire kit and, as with real firefighters, only the highest standards are acceptable.
Although set in a fire service environment, the course provides a varied range of activities designed to promote and improve confidence, teamwork, citizenship, and self-esteem.
The course is suited to young people who have been identified as having an aptitude for practical ‘hands-on’ educational activities and work.
Students have to be carefully selected because the training is physically and mentally demanding.
They follow a code of conduct based on the high standards of self-discipline expected within the fire service.

• Our photograph shows some of the Firebreak trainees showing off their newly-acquired skills at their passing out. Photo submitted.

Buchanan Cup victory at third time of asking for golf pair

THE final and the consolation of this year’s Buchanan Cup open competition at Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club was the culmination of knock-out rounds held over a period of eight weeks.
Brian Waites, a member of the 1983 European Ryder Cup team, and partner Gordon Whalley, a past Captain of the club, won through to the final to meet Vivary Park Golf Club professional Dave Hawker and his partner Mark Pavey, landlord of the Vivary Arms, in Taunton.
It was the third year in a row that the Minehead pairing had contested the final in this prestigious competition, and the fourth final for Whalley, with victory previously eluding him.
However, after two year’s of settling for the Greens Tankard runner-up spot, they scored a well-deserved victory to finally lift the Buchanan Cup.
It was a tough day for golf, strong easterly winds made it very cold but at least dry.
Waites and Whalley went one up at the first with a birdie from the former Ryder Cup star and then found themselves two up after the third when Whalley won the hole using his shot allowance.
The Vivary pair fought back immediately with Pavey securing a par on the tough par three fourth.
Indeed, it was like that for much of the front nine, with only two holes being halved and all players contributing to the match.
At the turn, it was the Minehead pair who still held a two-hole lead.
The back nine began with the Vivary pair taking the 10th hole with a par.
One up remained the score until the 13th, when the hole was won by Waites with a birdie three.
Two up to the Minehead pair lasted just one hole as Pavey took the 14th with a birdie two of his own.
The match was levelled again on the 16th when Hawker chipped in brilliantly from off the green to secure a birdie for the Vivary pair.
All square with two holes to play, it took nerves of steel and more magic from Waites, who played a magnificent approach shot to the 17th which stopped close to the hole.
The putt was conceded for another birdie three to leave the Minehead pair requiring only a half on the par three 18th to secure the cup for the first time.
The Minehead pair teed-off first with Whalley’s ball ending up to the left of the green and Waites on the front of it.
The Vivary pair played next with one falling way short of the green and the other well off to the right, fortunately missing the unplayable sand dune.
The first of the Vivary pair made his approach shot to the green leaving the ball well away from the hole.
Whalley was next to play onto the green and his shot ended well short leaving a not-so-certain par put.
The second Vivary player played a chip and run again leaving an uncertain par put.
It was left again to Waites, who, with his steady and assured style, rolled the ball perfectly to the edge of the hole.
With no chance of a win, the Vivary pair graciously conceded and the victory went to Waits and Whalley.
The match was played in an excellent spirit and on the day the Minehead pair had the better of the luck.
They were never down in the match and perhaps third time lucky was the order of the day for them.
Their better ball score was a four under 67.
During his acceptance speech, an emotional Gordon Whalley thanked his opponents for a great match and paid tribute to the superb condition of the course, a sentiment echoed by all the competitors on the day.
The third and fourth play-off was won by K. Cridge and M. Newman, from Vivary Park, who beat N. Grabham and D. Hill.
Twenty-two pairs competed in the Consolation and the result was: 1st: K Babb & W Brown (42 points) on the back nine from 2nd: J Fisher & A Hardick (42 points), 3rd: D Neale & R Neale (40 points). Report by Gerry Mason.

• Our photographs show TOP - Buchanan Cup winners Gordon Walley (left) and Brian Waites (right) receiving the trophy from club Captain Denis Compton; BELOW - club Captain Denis Compton (centre) with losing finalists and winners of the Greens Tankard, Dave Hawker and Mark Pavey. Photos submitted.
  
  

Christmas shoebox gifts bring joy to needy children

GIFT-filled shoeboxes given by people in West Somerset are among a total of 230,000 from across the county which are being sent for Christmas to needy children in Eastern European and African countries.
Operation Christmas Child is this year helping children in countries such as Belarus, Bosnia, Romania, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Liberia, Mozambique, and Swaziland.
The appeal is one of the main annual projects run by Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid charity.
Volunteers collected the shoeboxes at drop-off points across the South West before they were checked and packed for transportation at warehouses prior to shipment to their final destinations.
Founded in 1990, Operation Christmas Child is now one of the UK’s largest annual charity programmes.

Regional manager Roger Fenton said the charity wanted to say an official ‘thank you’ to everybody in West Somerset who had helped make this year’s appeal such a success.
Mr Fenton said: “We have been extremely pleased with how the campaign has gone this year and we have been overwhelmed by the number of people from West Somerset who have participated.
"It is a massive operation, but it all comes down to one simple act of kindness - filling a shoebox with gifts for a child who has little at Christmas.
“We have collected over 1.25 million boxes nationally this year, which means there are many needy children who will see that there is somebody who is thinking of them this Christmas.
“The impact that a shoebox containing some simple gifts has upon a child with nothing - and their family - cannot be over emphasised.
“Many experience challenges most of us would find hard to imagine, and the toys and other gifts brighten difficult lives, particularly at this time of year.
“The thought that goes into each shoebox is special, because it is one person choosing gifts for a child who is living a very different life from that which we enjoy in this country.
“These are gifts from somebody in Britain direct to a child who greatly appreciates what he or she receives.”

Faulty tumble drier sparks early morning blaze

AN electrical fault in a tumble drier is believed to have caused an early morning fire which broke out in a house in Langley Marsh, near Wiveliscombe.
The blaze happened in a utility area of the property at about 5 am on Monday, December 17.
Two fire engines were called to the incident from the Wiveliscombe and Wellington stations and firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the house and find the source of the blaze.
The fire was then extinguished using one hose reel jet.

Firefighters cut woman free from ditch crash car

A WOMAN passenger had to be freed by firefighters when she became trapped in a car which left the B3188 road in Tolland, near Wiveliscombe, and plunged into a six feet deep ditch and became lodged in an upright position.
Fire crews from Wiveliscombe and Taunton were called to the scene by an ambulance crew shortly before 3.30 pm on Sunday afternoon, December 16.
They initially began to to cut out the car’s windscreen with hydraulic equipment, but the woman was eventually freed through the driver's door of the vehicle.
The woman was taken to hospital by paramedics, while the car driver, who was unhurt, remained at the scene with police officers.

Golf club celebrates achievements at annual awards presentation evening

THE achievements of Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club members were celebrated at the annual trophy presentation evening.
The day began traditionally with the playing of the Massey Poyntz Cup, although this year, while the course remained open, the competition was cancelled due to the appalling weather and was rescheduled for tomorrow (Sunday, December 23).
The presentation evening saw 86 trophies given out to members, with highlights including the Avalon League division seven winners cup going to the victorious club side.
Champion of the Ladies game was Charlotte Ross, who not only won the Ladies Club Championship Hosegood Trophy but also the Clanville Bowl and Wimbush Cup.
In the Club section, John Fisher won the Club Championship with the best gross score over 36 holes.
He also won the Ridler Trophy for the best nett score in the same competition, the Dawson Thomas, and President's Trophy with partner Tony Hardick.
The most successful golfers during the season were Nancy Marshall, who collected four individual and two pairs trophies, Nigel Grabham. who collected one individual and four pairs trophies, and Keith Babb, who collected five individual trophies.
Six new trophies were played for this season.
In the Senior's section, the Dixie's Bogey, a trophy presented by member Ken Sims and named after his dog which regularly accompanied him on his round of golf, was won by Peter Heddercott, who, coincidently, also had his dog with him from time to time.
Club steward Graham Walsh donated the Stewards Challenge Trophy and this was won by Allan Burton and Clive Gurr.
In the Club section, four new trophies were presented for the first time.
The President's Trophy, given by club president Ben Gliddon, was won by John Fisher and Tony Hardick.
Another 'new' trophy was the Artisan Cup, originally presented to the club in 1959 on the disbandment of the Artisans - a group of about 40 who were not full members and who used to arrive at the club by playing their way across the beach, subject to the tide being out.
The trophy was found and reintroduced by club Captain Denis Compton as a 36-hole competition played in one day, and it was won by Andy Atkins.
The Freddie Burton Bowmaker Salver was given to the club by Mrs Burton to be played for in the memory of her husband Freddie, who died this year. Freddie was one of the club's characters and is sadly missed. The winners were Steve Gay, Adrian Ryan, and David Ryan.
The final new trophy to be awarded was the Fagg Cup, donated by the HH Fagg Golf Society. 'The Faggs' are a group of golfers from the Windsor and Ascott area who have visited Minehead each June for the past 30 years.
The new cup is therefore played for during the first week of June. This year, it was won by Steve Plenty.
The winners of Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club trophies competed for throughout the year were:
Seniors Section: Porlock Cup - R Rufus, Burgess Trophy - R Swallow, Barrett Cup - R Swallow, Marshall Cup - G Walsh, Metcalfe Cup - T Pope & R Ireland, New Century Cup - J Fulwell & P Heddercott, Charles Eaves Tankard - R Rufus, Dexter Neville Salver - R brown, Captain's Shield - G Jones, J Perkins & J Fulwell, The Roy Bishop - G Walsh, Trafalgar Tankard -G Jones & N Parsons, Steward's Challenge Trophy - A Burton & C Gurr, Dixie's Bogey - P Heddercott.
Junior Section: Norman Green Trophy - A Dover, Frances Adams Trophy - M Stent, The Brian Lewis - C Knight, George Hampshire Trophy - D Ryan, The Henry Dibble - T Heard, Ridler Trophy - S Stent, Somerwest World - C Knight, Junior Championship - W Knight.
Ladies Section: Hosegood Trophy (Club Championship) - C Ross, Junior Bowl - A Oglesby, Wimbush Cup - C Ross, Wimbush Bowl - N Marshall, Cromer Cup - S Hill, Berger Cup - J Stanlake, Poyntz Cup - N Marshall, Phillips Cup - P Hole & I Swinburn, Floyd Cup - R Chidgey, Dunster Bowl - S Bartlett, Leukaemic Trophy - M Gliddon, Coronation Cup - N Marshall, Powell Cup - S Bartlett, Ladies Luttrell Cup - N Marshall, Clanville Bowl - C Ross, Michaelmas Bowl - S Hill, Winter Matchplay Trophy - J Stanlake, Lorna Sparkes Trophy - G Bowyer, Centenary Trophy - L Davis, Bronze Cup - R Chidgey, Vets' Trophy - M Foot, Clover Cup - S Rigg, Captain's Salver - A Oglesby.
Club Section: Club Championship - J Fisher, Ridler Trophy - J Fisher, Captain's Winter Four Ball Better Ball - T Hardick & J Murphy, The Ray Boddy - K Babb, Day Dewdney Foursomes - N Grabham & C Knight, Martell Cup - G Latham, Spring Cup - P Collins, Brown Cup - R Holland, Grant Cup - T Bowden, Scorpion Cup - B McCaffrey & D Stevens, Elizabethan Cup - M Rutley & S Salter, St Audries Cup - S Clarke & D Oatridge, Centenary Trophy - A Whiting, Centenary Tankard - M Vickery, Billy Wynn Foursomes - P Truscott & A Whiting, Weston Cup - N Marshall & N Grabham, Alcombe Cup - J Murphy, Simplicity Box - C Sidley-Adams, Roy Sparkes Trophy - N Grabham & D Oatridge, Bushen Cup - G Yeates, Tipper Trophy - N Marshall & N Grabham, Bon Cup - C Sidley-Adams, D Hillier & M Vickery, Hayman Rabbit - D Day, Tarr Cup - K Babb, Clarke Cup - N Grabham, Harry Gould Trophy - B Jones, Tony Pendray Trophy - J A'Court & D Ryan, Todd Cup - P Davies, Millennium Trophy - Tom McGann, The Dawson Thomas - J Fisher, Weacombe Bowl - M Vickery, Luttrell Cup (Both Sections) K Babb, Scratch Knockout - K Babb, Eclectic Cup - K Murrell, Gold Star - K Babb, Best Nett - G Yeates, Atrizans Cup - A Atkins, Fagg Cup - S Plenty, President's Trophy - J Fisher & T Hardick, Freddie Burton Bowmaker - S Gay, A Ryan & D Ryan.

• OUR photographs show: TOP - Trophy winners at Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club line up at the annual presentation evening (left to right): Back row - G Yeates, A Whiting, M Vickery, B Jones, D Hillier and P Collins. Middle - P Salter, R Holland, A Atkins, P Davies, J Fisher, A Hardick, B McCaffrey, D Stevens and K Murrell. Front - G Latham, D Ryan, J A'Court, J Holland (Ladies Captain), D Compton (Club Captain) N Marshall, N Grabham, S Clarke and K Murrell.
  MIDDLE - Ladies section winners (left to right) with Club Captain D Compton: Back row - P Hole, I Swinburn, A Oglesby, M Foot, S Hill. Front - J Stanlake, C Ross, J Holland (Lady Captain), N Marshall, M Gliddon.
  BOTTOM - Junior section winners (left to right) with Club Captain D Compton (front, centre): Back row - W Knight, D Ryan, T Heard, A Dover. Front - M Stent and S Stent. All photos by John York.

Students help police express crime reduction message

SIXTH form students of the West Somerset Community College, Minehead, have been working with police to help find ways to put across crime reduction messages to the local community.
It was part of the teenagers’ public services course as they looked at ways of solving problems such as reducing theft from sports changing rooms.
Their ideas included crime prevention pop-ups on school computers, new crime reduction posters, and better lockers.
The course also involved working with West Somerset Council and the West Somerset Crime Prevention Panel.
Minehead Police crime prevention officer PC Charlie Fitzpatrick, who organised the initiative, said: “The council, ourselves, and the crime prevention panel were very impressed with the level of work carried out by the students.
“They were given a real problem to research and solve and their ideas were innovative and positive.
“The school has seen a small number of thefts from changing rooms, but we are hopeful the number will be reduced following the students’ ideas and the crime reduction advice we have been able to give them.
“I am hoping this will be a regular part of the public services course and that in future we can give them some other local issues to look at.”
Council community safety officer Pete Hughes said: “These projects are an excellent example of young people taking ownership of an issue that affects them and other users of the sports facilities.
“Their breadth of thought to identify ways of stopping these thefts is to be commended.”
One student, Emma Taylor, said: “The project was a fun and interesting. It is amazing to think that we as a group have come up with something to reduce the crime.”
Another of the students, Emily Ketchen, said: “The project enabled us to work closely with the local police on a subject that directly affects us as a college and we hope our ideas can be taken forward and put into action, benefiting the community as a whole.”

• Our photograph shows Minehead Police Inspector Carol Pearce (front, centre) and PC Charlie Fitzpatrick, with council community safety officer Pete Hughes (front, second from left), college principal Nick Swann (front, right) and some of the staff and students involved in the course. Photo submitted.

An extra five years for Hinkley B while wait goes on for Hinkley C

HINKLEY Point B nuclear power station is to be given an extra five years’ of life with part of a £90 million investment by owners British Energy.
The news comes hard on the heels of the company’s announcement that the site had been earmarked for a new build Hinkley C station.
The twin advanced gas-cooled reactors in the B station were due to be decommissioned in 2011, but now they will continue generating electricity at least until 2016.
Hinkley B is currently running at reduced capacity due to boiler repairs following a closure earlier this year.
British Energy said it had completed the necessary technical and economic evaluation for the station, one of West Somerset’s largest employers, to continue operating beyond 2011.
Station director Nigel Cann said: “This is great news for all of us at Hinkley Point B and for everybody in the local Somerset community.
“The decision means we can continue to provide highly skilled jobs and bring major investment to the area.
“It also shows that British Energy recognises the professionalism and commitment of our staff in safely supplying low carbon electricity for more than 30 years.”
The station employs around 535 full-time staff, as well as 150 full-time staff from contract partners, and puts an estimated £30 million a year into the local economy.
Hinkley B has produced some 215 terrawatt hours (TWh) of generation since first supplying the National Grid in 1976.
During its working life so far, the station has saved around 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
To achieve the same annual carbon-avoided benefit would require the entire population of Bristol to reduce their carbon emissions to zero.
Hinkley trades union representative Tom Armstrong said staff were delighted with the news.
Mr Armstrong said: “This life extension is a major bonus for the station.
“It is the result of a tremendous amount of hard work by everybody involved, both on and off site, to secure a further five years of safe, reliable generation - an achievement of which we are all very proud.”
British Energy chief executive Bill Coley said the extension of Hinkley B’s operating lifespan would help combat global warming by supporting the UK’s climate change goals for the reduction of CO2 emissions.
The Government is expected to announce next month if it will give the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear reactors to be built in Britain.

• Our photograph shows Hinkley Point B (right) with the neighbouring Hinkley Point A station which is currently being decommissioned. Photo submitted.

Man trapped on Exmoor in overturned vehicle for two hours

FIREFIGHTERS from Dulverton helped to rescue a man who was trapped for two hours when his Land Rover overturned late at night on Exmoor.
The accident happened in Wellshead Lane, Exford, at around 10 pm on Saturday, December 8, but the fire crews were not called until a few minutes after midnight on Sunday.
A rescue tender from Taunton Fire Station was also sent to the scene.
The fire crews used heavy lifting air bags and hydraulic rams to free the mans legs and release him from the vehicle.
They also helped paramedics place the patient on a spinal board before he was flown by air ambulance to hospital for treatment.

EXCLUSIVE: Town forgets to celebrate Sir Arthur's 90th birthday

SIR Arthur C. Clarke (pictured), the most famous person to have been raised in Minehead, is due to celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday, December 16.
But in his home town, the anniversary will pass almost unnoticed as there are no plans for any public occasion.
However, after The Post alerted the Mayor of Minehead, Councillor David Hawkes, the town council could send a civic greetings card to Sir Arthur and possibly link up with him via a webcam chat.
Councillor Hawkes said he would liaise with Air Arthur’s brother, Fred Clarke, who lives in Bishops Lydeard, to see what could be arranged.
He told The Post: “I know of Sir Arthur and the plaque on his house, but I did not know it was his birthday.
“Nobody has suggested doing anything, so I suppose it shows there is not a lot of interest at the moment.
“But I am always open to ideas and it would be nice if we could do something, and it would be good for the town as a whole.”
West Somerset Council spokeswoman Stacey Beaumont told The Post when asked if the district council planned to do anything to mark Sir Arthur’s birthday: “We have no plans.”
Fred Clarke told The Post that the only celebrations of which he was aware were being organised by Sir Arthur’s staff in Columbo, Sri Lanka, where he lives.
Mr Clarke said: “I spoke to him a few days ago. He is keeping pretty well.
“He is now in a wheelchair completely but seems to be quite happy and cheerful.
“I spoke to his staff and they are laying on celebrations over there.
“It would have been nice for something to be done in Minehead as well. He has great affection for Minehead.”
Sir Arthur, probably best known for his groundbreaking novel 2001 A Space Odyssey, later made into a Hollywood film by director Stanley Kubrick, was born in Blenheim Road, Minehead, and went to school at what is now the Richard Huish College, in Taunton.
He has lived in Sri Lanka since 1956 and has only occasionally returned to Minehead, once, in 1992, to have the Freedom of the Town bestowed on him ‘in recognition of his distinguished services to science and the arts’.
Sir Arthur was knighted in 1998, but the honour was not bestowed on him until 2000 due to a row over a national newspaper allegation against him which was later shown to be unfounded.
He is credited with inventing the idea of satellite telecommunications, writing a private paper on it in 1945, and two decades later he saw his vision turned into reality with the advent of satellites in geostationary orbits.
The International Astronomical Union has named the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres above the equator The Clarke Orbit in tribute to Sir Arthur.
The learning resource centre in Richard Huish College has been named in honour of Sir Arthur, who also has an asteroid and a species of dinosaur discovered in Australia named after him.
NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, which is looking for evidence of past or present water and volcanic activity to help answer the question of whether life has ever existed on Mars, is also named in honour of Sir Arthur’s work.
Fred Clarke is currently setting up a group to encourage budding young inventors.
It will be called the Pip Youngman Group after the late Taunton inventor, who worked with young people aged from 13 to 24 years.
Mr Clarke said: “It is for youngsters who have ideas which we will encourage them to develop.
“We will check out an idea to see if anybody has done it before, and do drawings and models to try to see if we can get somebody to take it up.”
Mr Clarke said he was inspired by what had happened to Sir Arthur, whose communications satellite invention was not taken up by anybody in England and so was eventually given to an American.
“Now, we spend millions every year on satellite communications which we pay to the Americans,” he said.
“I do not want to see that happen to any more of our young inventors.”

Exmoor 'big bridge' players help raise cancer care funds

MORE than £1,000 has been raised for Somerset Cancer Care from a ‘Big Bridge’ event recently held on Exmoor.
The charity is a division of St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice and provides information, support, and free stress-reducing complementary therapies to anybody affected by cancer - patients and their families and carers.
The charity’s Exmoor committee organised a bridge and lunch event in Winsford where the draw alone raised £239, and the total sent to the charity was £1038.20.
Sixteen tables of bridge players filled the village hall and everybody enjoyed a hearty lunch as well.
Among the organisers were volunteers Joan Bidie, Jane Lewis, Jenny Williams, and Cathy Nicholls, and non-volunteers Joan Cooper, Sue Ashburner, Brenda Coates, Anne Phillips, Rosie Strickland, and Alice Windsor Clive.
Money was also raised for St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice through the sale of its Christmas cards.
Committee member Cathy Nicholls said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who organised the ‘Big Bridge’ event.
“It was a fantastic day and the hard work of everybody involved really shone through.”

• Our photograph shows Dave Williams (left) and Peter Nicholls preparing refreshments for the ‘Big Bridge’ fund-raising afternoon. Photo submitted.
  

Grants available to put empty homes back into housing market

RESIDENTS in West Somerset are being asked to keep an eye open for any homes which appear not to be lived in.
West Somerset Council has dedicated December to encouraging people to report homes which have been empty for six months or more.
The council can help owners bring such properties back into use so they can be leased to local people.
The council’s housing portfolio holder, Councillor Peter Humber, said: “West Somerset has a real shortage of affordable homes to rent and we have grants available to help bring houses onto the market.
“We have recently brought one home back into use and a further eight have schedules of work planned, but we have the capacity to bring more back into use with local people’s help.
“Sometimes, homes are inherited and have new owners who are not in the area, or they have fallen into disrepair because owners either do not have the interest or money to bring them up to a decent standard.
“Owners of redundant commercial buildings can also be helped where there is potential to convert buildings into dwellings for local people.”
The council is offering grants of up to £10,000 to bring empty homes up to the Government’s decent homes standard.
It can also help owners lease properties to people nominated from housing waiting lists or to sell them to local housing associations so they can be let.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to owner-occupiers who cannot currently live in homes because they do not meet the decent homes standard.
Council environmental health manager Ian Timms said: “If the public knows of empty houses in their area, they can contact the council in confidence and we will track down the owners and do our best to get the house back into use.
“Even derelict properties can be returned to use, so we would encourage anybody who knows of an empty property to contact us.”
Grants are not available for second homes which may stand empty for many months.
Anybody who wants to report an empty home in West Somerset should call 01643 703704, or email customerservices@westsomerset.gov.uk.

Two women rescued from Exmoor farm machinery

AN air ambulance rushed an Exmoor woman to hospital early on Sunday, December 2, after firefighters freed her from beneath a farm vehicle.
The unnamed woman became trapped under a four-wheel drive Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle (example pictured) on a farm near Dulverton at about 8.30 am.
Another woman who tried to release her also became trapped and had to be rescued by the fire and rescue crew from Dulverton.
It took more than half-an-hour for the firemen to stabilise the vehicle and release both women, the first of whom was then put on board the waiting helicopter to be flown to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, in Exeter.
Paramedics on board a road ambulance also attended the scene.

• Fire and rescue crews also attended three Exmoor properties which were experiencing flooding overnight on Saturday-Sunday in the Exford and Bridgetown area, near Dulverton.
  Crews from Dulverton and Porlock were called out and they used light portable pumps to remove water and also helped to clear up with mops and buckets.
  

Carers receive certificates after completing free St John programme

CERTIFICATES have been presented to people who completed the latest carer support training programme at the Minehead divisional headquarters of St John Ambulance, which finished on Thursday, November 29.
The carer support programme is run in association with Somerset County Council and is offered free across the county at various St John Ambulance venues.
It provides an opportunity for carers to gain more skills and knowledge to help in a caring role and also to meet other people and share experiences and advice.
St John carer development manager Jude Glide said: “It is so good to see the number of carers who are taking advantage of this free training growing from course to course and hearing of the many benefits they are getting from the sessions.
“One of the issues that keeps coming up is that of ‘isolation’, and one of the key elements of the courses is bringing carers together to share similar problems and issues.
“Many groups have been set up as a result of the programme and are meeting on a monthly basis.
“These good people are not alone, and St John is proud to be helping them.”
For information on dates and venues call Jude Glide on 01823 345920 or visit the website: http://www.somerset.sja.org.uk/.

• Our photograph shows Jude Glide (second from left) with some of those who attended the course and received their certificates. Photo submitted.

Judge overturns first Exmoor hunting conviction

THE first huntsman to be prosecuted under the Hunting Act, Tony Wright, of the Exmoor Foxhounds, has had his conviction overturned on appeal.
Mr Wright, aged 53, had been found guilty in August of last year by magistrates sitting in Barnstaple of breaching section one of the Act while leading the foxhounds at Drybridge, in Devon.
The prosecution was brought by the League Against Cruel Sports, which said a hunt on April 29, 2005, allowed the hounds a ‘prolonged period of pursuit’ of a fox on two occasions.
Under the Act, all that is lawful is the exercising of hounds, chasing a scent trail, and flushing out foxes to be shot.
Mr Wright, of Exmoor Kennels, Simonsbath, was fined £500 by the magistrates and ordered to pay £250 costs.
But now, at an appeal heard in Exeter Crown Court on Friday, November 30, the conviction has been quashed.
Judge Graham Cottle allowed the appeal and said he was satisfied Mr Wright reasonably believed he had put in place safeguards which he thought would ensure compliance with the Act.
The Exmoor is one of only two fox hunts to have been prosecuted successfully.
More people have been convicted of hunting rats under the Act than have been found guilty of illegal fox hunting.
Countryside Alliance chief executive Simon Hart said: “This verdict is an absolute vindication of Tony Wright and the Exmoor Foxhounds and another nail in the coffin of the Hunting Act.
“While we celebrate this judgment, however, we must not forget why an innocent man faced with a vindictive private prosecution has had to spend over two years and two court cases to clear his name.
“The Hunting Act is not only a pointless and prejudiced piece of legislation, it is also a very bad law.
“If the courts cannot be sure what is hunting and what is not, how on earth can anybody else.
“Only by scrapping the Act can we ensure that other innocent people will not be persecuted and today’s result adds to the clear case for its repeal.”
The case has cost the League more than £100,000 to pursue, after Avon and Somerset Police refused to prosecute based on the available evidence.
Mr Wright was ‘delighted’ with the appeal result and said afterwards the Hunting Act was a ‘very difficult law to interpret’ and ‘probably not very well written for people like myself to understand’.
For the League, Mike Hobday, head of its prosecution unit, said: “We shall be taking urgent legal advice about the prospects of appealing on some of the findings of law.”
Mr Hobday described the appeal result as ‘deeply surprising’ and said he was ‘shocked and disappointed’ at the legal interpretation of the Hunting Act.

• Our photograph shows an image from a video of an Exmoor Foxhounds hunt used by the League in its prosecution. Photo submitted.

Readers asked to help police trace man in connection with Porlock burglary

POLICE are asking for help from readers of The Post in a bid to catch a burglar who struck in Porlock.
The burglary happened at a public house in the village almost six months ago, on June 30.
In connection with the inquiry, police are trying to trace a white man whom they think may be able to help with their investigation into the burglary.
The crime happened between 5.30 pm and 10 pm, and bank cards were stolen and subsequently used at various locations in the UK, whereby several hundreds of pounds were withdrawn.
The man police want to trace is pictured here, wearing glasses and a white shirt.
Anybody with any information regarding this case should contact Crimestoppers immediately by telephoning 0800 555 111. They do not have to leave a name, but they could receive a reward.
Alternatively, they can use the secure Crimestoppers contact form available at https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/crimestoppers/ContactForm.aspx.

Winsford woman takes to stage to celebrate three-star award for adult care services

AN Exmoor woman will be centre stage tonight (Thursday, November 29) as a star-studded celebratory showcase takes place to recognise the latest three-star rating of the county’s adult social care services.
Three stars is the top rating given by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and means the services have been judged to be ‘excellent’.
The celebratory event is being staged at the Brewhouse Theatre, in Taunton, with many people taking part from across Somerset, including Becky Hayes, who lives in Winsford.
All the participants will have taken part in artistic endeavours within the service, helping it to receive the highest possible rating for a fourth consecutive year.
Becky, aged 23, has been involved in the Moves Afoot dance project which takes place in Minehead’s Seahorse day centre for adults with learning disabilities.
The project is run by Arts Exchange, which is funded by Somerset County Council and the Arts Council, providing activities in dance, music, and storytelling for adults with learning disabilities.
For the past year, dance artist Oliver Ellis has been working with service users on Friday afternoons, supported by Seahorse staff.
Becky has been one of the keenest participants, and Seahorse Centre deputy team leader Helen Chave said: “Becky communicates in a very particular way and we know when she is happy.
“We knew that she enjoyed the dance session and has developed a really good relationship with Oliver.
“All the group have benefited and the project has given them the confidence to express themselves creatively using the ideas and skills brought to us by Oliver.”
The Brewhouse Theatre evening will feature a screening of the award-winning comedy horror film about food hygiene ‘Germ Academy’, created by and starring people with learning disabilities.
Cast members will be on hand to discuss their roles, as will those involved in the service’s latest film production, ‘Shape Up’.
Also on hand will be people who have become community ‘storytellers’ with the help of an innovative project run by The Unlimited Company, based within the community team for adults with learning difficulties in Mendip.
The CSCI rating will contribute to the Audit Commission’s next comprehensive performance assessment of the way the county council works and delivers services.
This year’s test was even harder than previous years, with extra emphasis placed on delivering demonstrable positive outcomes for the community.
Among areas rated as ‘excellent’ in the report were leadership, use of resources, maintaining personal dignity and respect, increased choice and control, improving quality of life, and improving health and emotional well-being.
The county’s community director, Miriam Maddison, said: “To receive a three-star rating is a welcome endorsement of all the work the council does in this area, but this event is all about celebrating the achievements of people we help.
“As a service, it is important that we are not content to just support and care for people.
“It is about making a positive contribution to peoples’ lives, helping them achieve great things and this event is celebrating just that.”
Council portfolio holder for adult and community services, Councillor Justin Robinson, said: “We have forged excellent working partnerships with volunteers, partner agencies, and carers across the county, allowing us to deliver excellent services at the local level to people across Somerset.”

• Our photograph shows Becky Hayes training with dance instructor Oliver Ellis at the Seahorse Centre. Photo submitted.

Faulty fan blamed for early morning Butlins fire

A FAULT in an electrical extractor fan has been found to be the cause of a fire which broke out in the early hours of Monday, November 26, at the Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead.
Fire investigators determined the blaze, which damaged six chalets and a large area of roofing, was started accidentally.
The fire happened at about 5.40 am and there were initial reports that people may have been trapped in the chalets, which turned out to be incorrect.
Fire and rescue crews from Minehead, Porlock, Williton, Wiveliscombe, and Taunton all attended the scene.