Our exclusive racing correspondent Winterborne Longjohns picked six horses for Blog readers to back and boost their fortunes in the Grand National on Saturday. Here’s how they fared:
Out of 39 entrants, 16 finished.
The last Samuri, which ended up as the 8-1 joint favourite, came 2nd.
Holywell fell at the 2nd fence
St Are was in the lead for a period, but faded
The Druid’s Nephew pulled up at the 21st fence.
Kruzhinin pulled up at the 27th fence
Many Clouds finished 16th
A modest £2.50 each way bet on each horse would have cost £30 and returned £10.
As the advertisements say, when it stops being fun, STOP.
But Winterborne will be back with more selections soon – we hope. -ED
PS Your editor recouped his losses – and more- by successfully betting Winterborne on the name of the celebrity involved in the much-hyped “three in a bed scandal”. Payment is eagerly anticpated.
I am delighted to report that a crane has been spotted in Horsington close to the village horsepond. Do you see this as a sign of spring or is global warming to blame?
Yours faithfully,
A constructive twitcher
Further to recent comments, quoted above, made by Rat, which I queried as a possibly Tall Story, he has sent the blog irrefutable evidence which he has insisted must be published if the poor old Ed is to avoid further action being taken by his lawyers Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Run for defamation of character.
As this would result in penury and an immediate move to Carey Street, I offer the usual mealy mouthed apology for dissing such an eminent expert…………..Ed
Templecombe station was packed on Saturday 2nd April when rebuilt steam engine 60613 Tornado thundered through the station hauling a 13-coach special, the Devon Belle.
Blog reader Janet Coles kindly supplied a picture Tornado at Templecombe
And here is a video of this magnificent engine at speed (sorry about the advertisements).
Our exclusive racing correspondent Winterborne Longjohns has sent us a dispatch. Sadly nothing for Wincanton on Monday, but nevertheless, some useful pointers for Saturday at Aintree
Sickness and an absence of reliable stable information from the Harry Fry yard has prevented Winterborne from participating in any meaningful way in the racing game since early January. Indeed it was only on the final day of this years Cheltenham, which was incidentally, surely the best ever, that he ventured to bet !
Should you be curious those bets were , two winners, MIKAEL GORBACHOV and YOUKNOWWHATIMEANHARRY and two fallers, CUE CARD and LIMINOS, for which believe it or not he is still awaiting payment from a credit bookmaker. A character going by the Trollopian name of “Major TipToe” has made some offers to take over the onerous task of providing racing copy for this occasional column but there is something about the fellow, who lives near Bridport, that I don’t altogether trust.
Having got that out of the way, let us turn to Saturday’s Big Race. Onward and upwards as no doubt every remaining jockey facing Beecher’s for the second time round will doubtless be thinking. First in line for a recommendation is THE LAST SAMURAI trained by Kim Bailey and ridden by the excellent jockey David Bass currently at 12/1. Next comes Oliver Sherwoods’s last years winner and this years favourite MANY CLOUDS at 8/1 and likely to be shorter on the day. Next we have HOLYWELL, low weighted and trained by Jonjo O Neill, priced at 14/1 and much respected by many a good judge. Then we have ST ARE, currently 16/1, and at much greater odds of 33/1, KRUZHININN , either which could readily run into a place, while the curiously named THE DRUIDS NEPHEW should not be left out also at 14/1, giving Winterborne’s followers six to follow in what may well be a forty runner race.
Most bookmakers will pay out each way bets on the first five places so leave one out at your peril and above all be lucky.
Yet again your careless journalism and lack of fact-checking has resulted in my name being traduced in the parish of Horsington, where once I had a respectable reputation.
To suggest that I might be behind, or even partake in, a sensationalist and gratuitous naked art exhibition or “installation” as you call it, is a travesty of the truth. I have not, and would never, appear naked in public. While my late husband and I enjoyed our moments “natura vult ut nudi”, these were strictly in private. My dear husband would have been firmly opposed to it.
Even as a young actress on the London musical stage in the late 1960’s I remained modestly draped at all times, as many a keen young Stage Door Johnny will testify.
I believe, Mr Editor, that you have fallen for an age-old April Fool trap. I think you deserve a slap on the wrist for your stupendous gullibility, and that I deserve a fulsome apology, perhaps coupled with a nice dinner at Plumber Manor.
I am prepared to let the matter drop if these conditions are met. Otherwise I shall have to consult my solicitors.
Yours,
Amelia Badger (Mrs)
We apologise to Mrs Badger. We were sent a press release which we published in good faith- with Mrs Badger’s name on it, it had to be genuine -Ed.
Horsington’s nudists get fit for the “Moon in June” event on June 4th, when they will lay down in front of a hedging machine.
Horsington is set to join the famous art movement of American photographer Spencer Tunick – by taking its clothes off for a public spectacular in June!
Tunick, who is famous for his art works featuring naked bodies, has photographed “naked”pieces at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Institut Cultura in Barcelona, Spain, the Baltic Centre in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, and in Salford and Manchester. He intends to recruit the inhabitants of Horsington –of all ages and genders- to pose naked in an artistic tableau entitled “Moon in June”, which will feature a meadow full of naked bodies in front of a hedge trimming machine. It is not known whether the driver will be clothed.
The artist was approached by a group of villagers after the successful Village Dinner back in February.
Inspired by the community spirit of the dinner, they decided to plan 2 events to celebrate village life. One, a Summer Ball, is still at the concept stage, but the other, the naked art installation to commemorate the traditional May hedge cutting season in Horsington, was down to a single phone call.
Mrs Ameila Badger, who wishes to remain anonymous, had the idea after listening to an item on Radio 4 about a similar project in Hull. Explained Mrs Badger, “in Hull they want to paint people and get them wet. Here in Horsington, which is much closer than Hull, we prefer the idea of natural flesh tones blending in with the gamboge tints of an agricultural machine”. The artist agreed and immediately saw the potential and gave the go-ahead after a 3-way satellite teleconference on April 1st.
The project will take place on Saturday June 4th, the day before the New Moon, and will be staged either in the grounds of Horsington Manor, if permission is given, or on the cricket pitch, which will have been freshly-rolled after the annual cricket match between Horsington and the Tabard Pilgrims from Chiswick. (This match will be fully clothed-Ed).
As the weather can often be a bit tricky at that time of the year, the ever-helpful and public-spirited Mr Samson of Somerset Mini Marquees, will erect a suitable shelter to protect participants from the elements. Teas will be provided by the Half Moon and the WVS.
Over 4,000 people applied for 1,000 places for “Everyday People”, which was staged in 2010 in eight secret locations around Salford and Manchester, with volunteers ferried between each location in heated buses. Horsington’s needs are more modest – we just need 400 people.
To volunteer, please sign up by emailing editor @idnet.com. Do not send a photograph. Come on, don’t be shy -Ed
Mondays Pilates 6pm Tuesdays Upholstery 10.30 am , Badminton 8pm, Wednesdays Adult tap dancing 10am Thursdays Art 10.00 Fridays Art 10.00
Other Events Mon 4th Ladies Lunch Group Red Lion, Babcary
Wincanton races – Horses for courses 1200 – 5.10pm Wed 6th Music Night Half Moon Inn 8.30pm Thurs 7th W.I . Talk by Commander Holt. Village Hall 7.30pm Thurs 3rd Wincanton Races. Coors Day 11.30-16.50 Tues 12th North Cheriton Gardener’s Society Wed 13th- Sat 16th Milborne Port Opera – The Sorcerer Gilbert & Sullivan Book here
Friday 15th Talk on the TUSK Trust by Dan Bucknell, executive director. Village hall 7. 30. £10, in aid of TUSK and the church. POSTPONED Sun 17th Wincanton Races . Children’s day 12.30 – 17.10. Wed 20th Film: SPECTRE King Arthur’s School 7.30pm
St John’s Church services 3rd April 9.15am Holy Communion with Sunday School 10th April 11 am Morning Prayer 17th April 9.15am Holy Communion 24th April 8.30am Holy Communion (BCP)
Milborne Port Opera presents The Sorcerer by Gilbert & Sullivan……….. April 13th – 16th at 7.30pm at Milborne Port Village Hall. Click HERE to buy tickets on-line
The tornado will pass through Templecombe at 11 05 on Saturday
A newly built world-famous mainline steam locomotive will be passing through various stations in Somerset and Dorset this weekend. The LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado will be setting off from London Waterloo at 8am on Saturday, April 2 and will pass through Templecombe at 11.05 am on its way to Exeter.
Unfortunately it will have to slow down to cross over onto the double track, but this will give spectators an excellent view.
The engine was rebuilt over at 14- year period at a cost of £3million. Thanks to Nigel Matravers in Hong Kong for the tip off -Ed
is to avoid further action being taken by his lawyers Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Run for defamation of character.
