A record of the hedge destruction, taken on Wednesday 27 May. Click on an image to enlarge
Hedges – for the record
Forget the New Zealand debacle – Horsington can really lose in style!
Horsington’s fixture against the Tabard Pilgrims from Chiswick, West London, ended in a good humoured defeat after an afternoon of slightly damp, but very entertaining cricket. The teams played 2 innings, reversing the batting order for the second. Local rules meant there was no LBW, and “golden ducks” were banned.
Both teams were refreshed by a liberal supply of Butcombe Rare Breed, generously supplied by Andrew Tarling of the Half Moon, who also umpired throughout, assisted by Chris Bailward and Richard Gaunt (who was thankfully not called on to make a decision).
Horsington, captained by Christian “Snoopy” Bennett, fielded some very fine young cricketers with genuine potential for the future – Michael Tarling, Samuel Rose and star batsman Jake Cockerel. Nick Mattravers and Stuart Lane tonked a few braces of sixes before falling to some beguiling bowling.
Joe Davidson had a spectacular catch, Tom Appleby, who has just taken over the Charlton Horethorne Stores, bowled with great pace and skill. Kevin Lane played with his usual style.
Charlie Mann and Josh Dare-Cullen bowled with an unconventional action with some success.
The view from the pavilion was that this is a team with great potential. If only they could play together more often, they might put Horsington on the village cricket map.
A great day, in steadily improving weather. Horsington were overtaken by the Pilgrims with 3 overs left.
Then it was back to the Half Moon for refreshment and the traditional Bank Holiday Quiz, won by the Pilgrims in a tie-break with the Moonies. The winning team conveniently had a veteran of several TV quiz shows in their team, one Bill Rodwell, still bowling at 82!
Thanks to Rob Hoddinott for preparing the pitch, Belinda Mann and Philippa Tarling for the tea and cake. And thanks to the Pilgrims for coming. See you next year.
You can see and download high resolution versions of these and more from HERE
Superfast broadband: Blog reader spots the “cabinet”
Our last post got an immediate response.
Brett Dorney reported that, according to the Connecting Devon and Somerset Programme, Horsington will go live with Superfast Broadband in January 2016. They point out that timescales may change, and there is no indication how far the broadband will reach. Marsh dwellers, be warned.
Eagle eyed John Macdonald, chairman of the village hall committee, thinks he’s spotted the “cabinet”. He reports, “Wandering round town the other day, I enquired of the gents pulling wires down holes if this was the much vaunted fibre optics we had been waiting for? No such luck, These are the conduits for the fibre optics. At least it is a step in the right direction. And I notice they have been laid all the way down to Templecombe.
“There is a ‘cabinet’, in fact two, (look for a green box about a metre long by half a metre high) for Horsington itself on the main road by Horsington House Lodge opposite the entrance to Stowell Lane. I would imagine there must be one somewhere in South Cheriton.” (We can’t find it -ED)
Thanks everyone. This is exactly what the Blog is for. Let us know what’s going on and we’ll report it. Ed
Bank Holiday Barbeque and Quiz at the Half
There will be a traditional pub quiz at the Half Moon on Bank Holiday Sunday. Usual rules -teams of 4-ish, the more the merrier. 8.pm start.
The Quiz follows a cricket match against the Tabard Pilgrims from Chiswick, West London. Spectators welcome from 2.30. These matches normally run to a thrilling , nail-biting finish at around 7 pm.
There is a barbeque at the pub afterwards, to which everyone is welcome.
Superfast Broadband could benefit the village
There is hope on the horizon if you suffer from chronically slow broadband speeds
The average UK residential fixed line broadband speed is 22.8 Mbit/second (Ofcom November 2014). This is nothing like the dismal speeds we achieve in Horsington, which are often under 1Mb per second.
The Connecting Devon and Somerset Programme aims to give 90% of the area superfast speeds of 24 Mbs by end of 2016. The signal will be delivered by superfast fibre optic cables, and will be available to everyone who lives within 1 ¼ miles of a local connection node, known as a “ Cabinet”.
You will of course have to pay for this.
However, they will not evaluate us and the “cabinet” until next year. They won’t tell us where the “Cabinet” is (Templecombe?). And it won’t get upgraded if we don’t have enough people to justify the cost.
Penny Nagle, who lives at Felthams Farm on Horsington Marsh, is getting up a petition to try and accelerate the evaluation process.
You can sign the petition on the Church notice board or by emailing her –
“We really want to have superfast broadband here in Horsington Village and Marsh” to pennynagle@gmail.com.
If you live too far away from the “cabinet” you will not benefit from superfast broadband, but if 80 people or more express an interest, Wessex Internet will consider erecting a wi-fi tower to broadcast a high speed signal. You can express an interest with no obligation here: http://www.wessexinternet.com/register
It will be approximately the same price (we don’t have details). But sign up anyway as this will be a good back up option if we are not part of the Programme or too far away from that darned “cabinet” .
Luckily you don’t need supefast broadband to download your Horsington Blog!
How about a petition to do something about our pathetic mobile phone reception? -Ed
Update 20 May 2015: Horsington & South Cheriton may go superfast in January 2016. See story
Brilliant Winky Choir sets off BBC charter demand
BBC Radio 4 must bring back the “UK Theme” before the morning shipping forecast
Sunday 17 May saw the Wincanton Choral Society (featuring several Horsington residents) in excellent form for their 25th anniversary concert. The choir seems to have recovered its former spirit, and gave us a wonderful performance. They would be truly brilliant if we could hear the words a bit better.
The choir was augmented by a larger than usual orchestra, which added a certain majesty, making a reasonant sound which filled the packed sports hall at the Leisure Centre. Their opening number was the “UK Theme”, which used to herald the start of the day before Radio 4’s early morning shipping forecast. Until they killed it.
This is a glorious piece of music, much loved by fishermen, yachtsman and seafarers, (and, we suspect, landlubbers.) Hearing it brought back many happy memories of steadying oneself on the oggin, nursing a mug of tea, pencil stub in hand, trying to jot down the details before going on deck to tell the crew what was about to befall them in Lundy, Fastnet and Fitzroy.
Loyal readers will recall that your editor offered to rescue the crisis-ridden BBC when they “lost” their director-general in 2012. The offer still stands, with the additional proviso that the “UK Theme” is re-instated before the shipping forecast.
Readers may wish to write to their new MP, that nice Mr Warburton, demanding that reinstatement must be a condition of renewing the BBCs Charter, which comes up next year. Let’s go viral with this one!
Listen to the UK Theme, arranged by Fritz Speigl, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
All to play for at Bank Holiday Cricket Extravaganza
The May Bank Holiday looms, and the thoughts of all decent men turn to cricket. Forget the West Indies, and our upcoming battles with New Zealand, this is about saving the Horsington Cricket Pitch.
After a year’s absence, our friends the Tabard Pilgrims CC from Chiswick, West London, are returning to Horsington to play our village team. The match is very important as staging a game on the village pitch continues the legal right to use the field as a cricket pitch in future years.
But we need a team. The nucleus is there, but we could do with some more players. If you are handy with a bat or a ball and own, or can borrow, some white trousers, we need you! Contact Philippa Tarling at the Half Moon. – Tel 370140
The match will be played on Sunday 24 May – first ball at 2.30.
There will be a barbeque afterwards at the Half Moon, followed by the traditional Bank Holiday Pub Quiz.
VE Music night was a great hit
Congratulations to everyone involved with the Horsington VE Day celebration on Saturday 9 May. The music night, with Bertie’s Big Band, was an outstanding success.
Thanks to John Samson, who organised the event and provided the marquee, Andrew and Philippa Tarling at the Half Moon, Charles and Sonia James, Jackie Pyne, Mark Tucker, the Half Moon staff, and everyone else. It was a terrific evening, with some great music from a talented 20-piece orchestra. What a sound!
BloggoVision Extra – Live from the election count
The Blog’s fearless camera crew infiltrated the election count in Yeovil to record the historic win by Councillors Wallace and Inglefield, who both increased their majorities. Mrs Wallace reports on her bad luck to her father.
Blackmore Vale re- elects Inglefield and Wallace with increased majorities
Blackmore Vale’s two conservative Councillors William Wallace and Tim Inglefield have been re-elected with increased majorities.
There is now no overall majority at the previously Lib Dem-led South Somerset District Council.
The Lib Dems have lost two seats and now have 29. Conservatives gained three seats and have 28. Independents lost one seat and now have three.
Two sitting Tory Councillors failed to submit their papers in time, denying them full control of the Council. Piss ups and breweries spring to mind.
In neighbouring Wincanton, Conservatives Colin Winder and Nick Colbert were both elected. Lib Dem deputy leader Tim Carroll failed to gain a seat.
Lucy Wallace, William’s wife, was unlucky down the road in Milborne Port. She lost by ONE VOTE after 3 recounts to Sarah Dyke-Brache, a Lib Dem.
