The Horsington Blog

The Marsh Wine Club’s Christmas  tasting at Horsington Village Hall on 1^st December was a great success.

Over  40 people gathered to sample some excellent wines from all over the world, and to order them for their Christmas table.

Apart from the opportunity to sample over 20 different and excellent wines, it was also a great social occasion, and it was good to see the village hall being put to good use at last after a very  quiet period during the Covid  crisis.

The Marsh Wine Club is a year-old buying co-operative which provides the kind of wine you will not normally find in a supermarket, at very attractive wholesale prices. At the top end there are fine clarets and Rhone wines from France, sumptuous chiantis from Italy, and, lower down the scale, some very drinkable budget wines from Spain, Chile South Africa and Portugal. They are sourced from a reputable grower and shipper ,a major supplier to top restaurants.

From time to time the Club will organise tastings, social events, even dinners.

The Club is the brainchild of Jay Varcoe, who spent many years in the wine trade, and Richard Gaunt, who was a member of the team which put Sainsbury’s on the map as a wine retailer many years ago.

Everyone in Horsington and the Cheritons is welcome. There are no membership fees or obligation to buy. There is a buying round every few months, and wines are delivered locally

You can view the full list here: http://horsington.blog2.idnet.com/files/2021/12/Marsh-Wine-Club-List-December-2021.pdf

You can order by emailing Jay Varcoe with your selections from the list.

Justin Varcoe jjbvarcoe@gmail.com

You must order by the case (of 6), and you cannot mix different bottles.

Send a BACS payment to:

A/c Mrs FR Hutchcroft

Bank: Barclays

Sort Code: 20-99-40

Account: 20057568 Please order and pay by Monday 6 December. Delivery (subject to availability for some lines) by the end of the week.

We wish everyone a Happy and healthy Christmas. Enjoy your wine!

This post is for readers who are NOT yet members of the Marsh Wine Club.

The Marsh Wine club is an informal wine buying co-operative. It supplies excellent wines from reputable shippers to members at wholesale prices.

Membership is open to everyone in Horsington and the Cheritons

The club is hosting a WINE TASTING of selected wines from its list on Wednesday 1st December from 7 -9 pm at the Horsington Village Hall.

The wines and the hall have to be paid for, so there is a £10.00 per person entry fee, which is refundable against your order.

If you would like to receive an invitation, please email the editor.

Download the tasting list here

Lost puppy alert: a 6 month old black working cocker was being looked after by a friend in Horsington yesterday when it disappeared into a hedge and never returned. They have searched all night with thermal imaging cameras etc but found nothing. Can you Keep a look out while you are out and about. Her name is Minty and belongs to a couple in Stowell. She’s microchipped.

Contact Adrian, the owner. 07990 576583 or email editor. editor@idnet.com

Chris jagger

Chris Jagger will be playing at the White Horse, South Cheriton, on Saturday 6 November from 8 pm. Sjould be a great evening. Chris released a new album in Spetember “Mixing up the medicine” and he will surely be playing tracks from this. Should be a memorable evening.

Please book if you want to eat beforehand 01963 370394

It’s two years since Andy and Justine Kemp took over the Write Horse, South Cheriton, and to celebrate they bought all their customers a drink on Friday night. Thank you.

During their two years they have spent a fortune doing up the pub, refurbishing the kitchens, making a safe under cover outside space for Covid avoiders, hosted quizzes, music and the European Cup on their fabulous TV projector in the skittle alley. The food and ales are excellent and the wines very drinkable and reasonably priced.

If you haven’t tried it yet, make the effort . It’s well worth it. We seem to have lost the Half Moon. Let’s keep the White Horse. A village is not a village without a pub. Or a church.

Good luck to Justine and Andy. May your business prosper.

Feltham’s Farm, home of the award-winning Renegade Monk, Rebel Nun and La Fresca Margarita cheeses are recruiting.

Following an exceptionally busy period, and a new cheese about to be launched at Christmas, along with a limited edition cheese in a supermarket, the following roles need to be filled IMMEDIATELY : 

(1) Plongeur! Cheese washer.  Cheese wrapper.  

From Now – 20 November Confirmed – possibly beyond.  

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, 

2-6pm

For wash up, clean down, washing cheese, general support in the cheese factory most afternoons.   

£10 per hour.  

(2) Two Trainee Cheese Assistants 

Immediate,going into 2022.  

No experience required but MUST have love of food, cheese, and curiosity.  Our existing trainee is a graduate of Glasgow Art School and has been brilliant.  

£10 per hour for first 12 weeks, then increase depending on tested competence.  

Can provide accommodation on site.  

If you are, or know anyone who may be interested, please email Penny Nagle penny@felthamsfarm.com

Tickets for the MPO’s concert performance of “The Arcadians” are selling well, but there’s still time to book.

The concert is on Saturday September 25th at Milborne port Village Hall. 7.30 pm. £10 admission.

Book at www.mpopera.co.uk

Click on the photos to enlarge

See story

Richard Gaunt- nearest the pin for a birdie

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Sixty eight golfers of all abilities mustered at Henstridge gold Club  on Saturday 4^th September to compete in the annual charity golf tournament, the Horsington Open. It was the tenth anniversary game; a relaxed, carefree occasion, with several payers taking the trouble to dress up in outlandish costumes, a tradition which the organisers hope will  continue in future years.

Golf is a funny game. The aim is to go round in the least possible strokes. But because some players are not very good, a system has evolved to give less able players an allowance of strokes which are not counted in their final score, and this is called their handicap. So the good golfers have to play exceptionally well, while the bad players simply have to get lucky. And to complicate matters further, the result is not calculated on the total number of strokes taken, but on the number of times you beat the official “par” for each hole, for which you get points. The one with the most points wins.

So Henstridge vice captain Nick Hudd, who stormed round in a stunning 33 strokes, had to content himself with coming 6^th overall. Trevor Legg, also from Henstridge managed to beat him by a full two points to carry off the coveted Claret Jug. Richard Gaunt, who is normally well down the field, had a good day on a big handicap, and was the runner up, closely followed by Chris Bailward, Peter Gripper, and Denise Case just a couple of points behind.

George Wagland, representing the sadly closed Half Moon, won the parallel competition for players without an official handicap. Horsington’s other contenders Mark Warren, David Blake, Phil Warren, Andrew Tarling and Anthony Yateman fought valiantly but were further down the rankings.

In the team event. Horsington’s top team, the Home Farm Harriers, led by Chris Bailward, came third, beating the Grippers by a point. The Horsington Hackers, led by David Blake, last year’s winners followed behind, tying with Richard Gaunt’s The Improbables for 11^th place.

The day raised over £1200 for the Somerset Air Ambulance and St Margaret’s Hospice, and organisers Richard Gaunt and David Blake (now residing in Bath) would like to thank everyone who took part and for their generous donations and prizes. Next year’s competition is on Saturday September 3^rd 2022.

All in all, a good day.

http://horsington.blog2.idnet.com/?p=6795More photos in the Horsington Open Album

Charity competition tees off on Saturday 4th September

The 2021 Horsington Open, in aid of the Somerset Air Ambulance and St Margaret’s Hospice, tees off on Saturday 4th September at 9 am and 11 am.

The organisers, faced with the dual task or organising and playing, have opted to play their round on Friday 4th September in order to concentrate on running the event.

This means that there are 8 places available on the Saturday Morning for a quick nine holes before lunch and a chance of winning the famous Horsington Open claret jug.

You can book on line here . All welcome. Or email the editor. editor@idnet.com.