Category: News

Congratulations to the hard-working team who put together the highly successful and delicious village dinner at the Village hall on Saturday night. The evening had an Irish theme, it being St Patrick’s night. The proceedings were presided over by village Hall chairman John MacDonald, resplendent in an emerald green, sequinned bow tie.

Thanks to him, Chris Bailward, Emelie Gordon, Vicky Franklin, Maria Hawkins,  and their young helpers.

Funds raised go towards the care and maintenance of the village hall.

John Macdonald, Chair, St Margaret’s Hall Committee writes:
The Village Hall committee would like to thank all those villagers who participated in and donated to the St Patrick’s day fundraiser. We are constantly amazed and gratified by the generosity of our community of Horsington and South Cheriton. Needless to say, we raised a considerable sum for Hall funds which will go in some way to cover some of our recent heavy costs.

I would also like to say thank you to my hard-working committee for their support in running the Hall Dinner. Praise for the chefs, Vicky Franklin, Emelie Gordon, Maria Hawkins, Anthea Hughes and Sarah Warren. Thanks to Chris Bailward and Paddy Hughes for their organisational skills and to Sally Collins, Jackie Pyne and Gareth Cherry, who while unable to be with us, gave support. Also, thanks must go to the many diners who supported us with puddings, including Annie Bailward’s ‘historic’ bread-and-butter pudding. Finally, a big thank you to Phillipa and Andrew at the Half Moon for providing the Colcannon side dish.

Judging by the many notes of thanks I have received dinner went down well. (Pun intended).

 

The pub will be closed at lunchtimes from Monday February 4th to Saturday February 9th, inclusive.  Normal bar and food in the evenings, although there will be no curry night that week.

Valentine’s night is on Thursday 14th February. Take your girl out on a special date! Two steaks and a bottle of house wine for £25.00. (apologies for previous typos – shurely shome mishteak. Ed.)

Looking ahead to March, Mother’s day is on Sunday March 1oth. Book early to avoid disappointment

Horsington Village Hall now has a website, where you can see what’s on and  who to contact for the various activities which go on there.

You can also make enquiries or book the hall for your own event.

The Blog welcomes this new member of Horsington’s on line family.

Go to Horsington Village Hall

 

 

Thanks to everyone who took part in the survey. Altogether a massive 17 people took part, a response that indicates either a huge level of indifference to the blog, or feverish activity on Christmas preparations and festivities by the rest of the villages. We fear it was the former.

The answers we got were encouraging though . It indicates that though we may be low on subscribers, quite a few people dip in from time to time without being prompted by email.

 

 

 

 

 

There were 46 votes on the qualitative aspects of the Blog, which indicates that many respondents ticked more than one box in the second, multiple choice question. So we know that the blog keeps people informed, makes them laugh, is interesting, useful and well written, in that order. No-one thought it was a load of rubbish, or unfunny.

The purpose of the survey was to discover if the blog enjoys enough support in the village for the editor to plod on with it. Well yes it does, just, but only just. The blog is for you the readers, not a vanity project for the editor. You can help improve it by writing something about the village, what you like, what you hate, tell us about events which you are organising and comment on news as it happens.

Sign up for (free) email notifications and encourage your friends and neighbours to do the same. It’s really easy.

Happy New Year – Have an excellent 2013

 Ed

Wallets are notoriously and painfully tight in January. The Half Moon has come to the rescue with two promotions – Sunday Carvery and Dessert, only £10 per head until 26 January.

Curry nights return on Tuesdays from 6-29th January. Two delicious home made curries for a tenner. Unbeatable value.

And don’t forget, you can get 3 premium Balvenie pure malt whiskies for under £9.00, with a fourth, complimentary Monkey Shoulder thrown in. Until the whisky runs out. Cheers.

South Somerset District Council met last week to discuss a full agenda. Among the items was a proposal to remove the discount on second homes and grant exemption to certain properties undergoing refurbishment or major alterations.

These are the proposals:

1. the removal of the 10% discount applied to second homes, charging 100% of Council Tax; (This would add £117,000 to the council’s revenues)
2. the removal of the 10% discount applied to properties that have been empty for more than 6 months, charging 100% of Council Tax; (This would raise £125,000)
3. the introduction of a 50% premium charge for dwellings that have been empty for more than two years; (This will raise £274,000)
4. the introduction of a 100% discount for a period of up to three months where a dwelling is unoccupied and unfurnished; (The current period is 6 months. This proposal will raise £396,000)
5. the introduction of a 100% discount for up to 12 months to replicate the current Class A exemption from Council Tax for dwellings that are unoccupied and unfurnished and require, or are undergoing, major repair works or structural alterations to render them habitable. (No gain or loss of revenue).

These reforms will bring in an additional £912,00 per year, of which £92,110 will go to South Somerset District Council, and the lion’s share, £643,010 will go to Somerset County Council and other preceptors.

Sadly, not enough to trigger a reduction in Council Tax from the most expensive local authority in Somerset.

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