News, comment and gossip for Horsington, the Cheritons and surrounding villages in Somerset
News and events in the Horsington area
“The Leveller”, a local free magazine with much more political content than The Blackmore Vale mag, has published the results of its six month investigation into alleged corruption at South Somerset District Council. Should make interesting reading.
Pick up a copy from Papertrees and other outlets.
The long-awaited rollout of ultra fast fibre broadband to The Cheritons and Horsington by Wessex Internet is about to happen.
Lattiford and Holton are under construction, but work has been temporarily suspended owing to ground conditions – they don’t want to make too much mess.
North and South Cheriton are next, with Horsington and the Marsh likely in late summer.
The service is 11 times faster than the Uk’s average broadfband speed (and a staggering 900 times faster than the speeds currerntly achieved on outlying areas like Horsington Marsh!).
The cost of laying the cables and connecting to your home is covered by a government grant (which Wessex Internet will apply for on your behalf), so you need pay nothing. You will have to pay a £49.00 connection charge when the project is complete, and then a monthly fee which starts at £29.00, for a basic household service.
The basic service gives you an upload speed of 15 mps, which will suit most domestic users. Higher speeds are available for data hungry users at a higher cost, which rises in stages according to your needs – £44 per month for 30mps uploads, £59 pm for 125 mps and £84 pm for 300 mps uploads.
If you run a separate business from your home, you can apply for a home and a business connection, and the grant will cover both.
All you need to do is register your interest with Wessex Internet . There is nothing to pay , and you can change your mind later.
https://www.wessexinternet.com/for-home/
This will be the fastest and most efficient internet which is likely to be available to you. If you fail to register before the project commences, you will lose your grant and be forced to pay hundreds of pounds for a connection later on. By registering now, you also help Wessex Internet with their planning.
Wessex Internet will be organising meetings in the village Hall to introduce the team and answer any questions. Look out for announcements.
Dog walkers: Please look out for a young black Labrador bitch who ran off near Broadmoor Lane earlier She is staying with Paddy Hughes. Thanks
Gert Lush? No it’s not Mrs Badger’s Stage name (she is the Horsington Blog’s favourite retired West End legend). It’s the latest fabulous cheese from Marcus Fergusson and Penny Nagle at Feltham’s Farm, Horsington. Gert Lush is an original bloomy white-rinded organic cheese. Its a soft creamy cheese which has a delicious aroma and taste. The blog predicts it will be a real best seller. It was launched a week ago, ready for Christmas 2021.
Gert Lush is West Country dialect for “Very lovely”. Gert from Middle English, girt, or gert, meaning “great”, and “lush” meaning good, lovely or attractive when used as an adjective.
Bloomy white-rinded cheeses are covered with a white, downy rind, often a mix of benign natural moulds and fungi. They include cheeses such as camembert and brie – although, according to Penny Nagle, Gert Lush is neither. It’s actually much nicer.
The Feltham’s Farm distinctive Gert Lush label is created by artist and musician Jem Panufnik, whose cult following and unique approach to design helps Feltham’s Farm grow its audience worldwide -including the Netherlands, Canada, USA and France, where its cheeses are now sold regularly.
Gert lush joins an award-winning array of natural cheeses – Renegade Monk, Rebel Nun and La fresca Marguerita.
You can obtain it from Felthams Farm, down on the Marsh (ring or email first -07768 832954, , info@felthamsfarm.com ,Dike’s Supermarket, Stalbridge, and The Truckle Truck (outside Wincanton Post Office every Friday – except Christmas Eve).
About Feltham’s Farm
Feltham’s Farm is multi-award winning organic cheese dairy and smallholding on Horsington Marsh. It aims to be as sustainable as possible, running on 40KW of solar panels and ground source heat, while all local deliveries are made in a 100% electric van.
Felthams Farm’s other cheeses include Renegade Monk (Best British Cheese 2020 at the Virtual Cheese Awards), Rebel Nun (Gold at Global Cheese Awards 2020), La Fresca Margarita (Best British Cheese at Virtual Cheese Awards 2021).
A herd of Oxford Sandy & Black pigs consume all the whey produced (making a very sweet parma-like ham) so there is minimum waste.
Marcus Fergusson and Penny Nagle started making cheese in 2017, having always beenpassionate about food and cheese. Inspired by their travels, they bring cheese ideas back to be developed and created in Somerset’s “Vale of Little Dairies”, Blackmoor Vale (“Tess of thed’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy).
CONTACT :Penny Nagle, Director.
Feltham’s Farm Ltd, Horsington Marsh, Templecombe, Somerset BA8 0EN
Tel + 44 1963 3370857
penny@felthamsfarm.com, info@felthamsfarm.com
www.felthamsfarm.com
Mark and Mindy Lucas have had a massive clear out of books and will be giving them away in the Village hall on Saturday 11th December between 10 am and 12 noon.
There is a range of fiction and non fiction books in hard and paperback format, all from Mark’s extensive collection.
The books are basically free, but please consider making a voluntary cash donation. All welcome.
The Marsh Wine Club’s Christmas tasting at Horsington Village Hall on 1st 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.
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