Flushed with his success at Wincanton Yesterday, Winterbourne Longjohns turns his attention to some races outside Somerset. Ooh la la!
Methinks the asparagus will be early this year and should be matched to a Sauvignon Blanc.
Meanwhile. In order to celebrate yesterday’s win, I intend to help myself to a little of the 20/1 available for Balthazar King on Saturday, as selected by our winning trainer of yesterday Harry Fry, who, as I learn this morning, is also most. enthusiastic concerning his charge Mendip Express’s chances in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in ten days time.
Meanwhile Andre Fabre’s Orienteer runs at midday today in France and Harry Fry’s Garton Star and Polelamico are no more than a modest interest this afternoon at Taunton while our main interest will be with our two previous selections at Aintree.
Our new racing tipster, the legendary Winterbourne Longjohns, landed a 9/4 winner – Jollyallan, and a 5/2 2nd – Henryville, at Wincanton today. Both horses could have been secured at much better odds early in the morning when the blog appeared.
His other two tips were non-runners.
A very good start. We hope his luck – and judgement- will continue. Well done.
A view from the stable yard by our man of the turf, Winterbourne Longjohns.
The Blog is fortunate to have secured the services of the first class racing tipster, Winterbourne Longjohns. His maiden column is timely, for today is a Wincanton race day. Our tipster has been a lifelong reader of the Horsington Blog, but he brings an altogether new style, a welcome relief from the stark, functional prose of your editor.
Over to you, Winterbourne. . .
On this auspicious date I thought that you should be the first to know that owing to my strained financial situation I have now reluctantly decided to come out from a long and hard earned retirement and once again take up the rigours and shackles of employment.
I have no doubt that this will come as some considerable shock to you but as from today’s date I will be working as the National Hunt correspondent of the Horsington Blog covering the jump racing scene under the pseudonym Winterbourne Longjohns ,while my alter ego Swinley Bottom will from time to time advise the Blog’s readers and subscribers on flat racing prospects.
It may interest you to learn that Swinley’s first 2014 selection Orienteering, an Andre Fabre trained Juddmont home bred three year old from whom all expect a great deal, will be running at St Cloud later today. Incidentally Swinley Bottom’s European counterpart Captain Krumpnick can be reached c/o The Hayloft . L’ Ecurie des Nags, Chantilly , France and we very much hope that he will be able to provide us with profitable overseas information from time to time.
The thought has occured to me that with such world class information at my finger tips my syndicated services might be of interest to such other magazines as Prospect, The Fortean Times and Horse and Hound and I will be pursuing this possibility in due course of time. Hoping that this statement of intent proves as exciting to you as it does to me.
My Wincanton selections are all Harry Fry horses, viz 2.45pm Presenting Arms. 4.15pm Henryville. 4,45 pm Oscars Lad . 5.15pm Jolly Allan. (looks like he’s going for a Yankee –Ed). Then I am going very strongly on Actival in the 2.oopm at Aintree, and Rock on Ruby in the 3.o5pm the following day.
My Grand National (which will be shown in the Half Moon during the Music and Craft Festival on Saturday) selections are Tea for Two (Surely Teaforthree? –Ed) and Shakalakaboomboom.
Well, there you are. We wish everyone the best of luck. Can’t wait for your next dispatch, Winterbourne.
An ugly spat has broken out between two Somerset villages over a controversial “Twinning” arrangement.
It was all the rage in the 1980’s to “twin” with a similar town in France or Germany, so all the bigwigs could go on expenses-paid “fact finding tours” and come back with loads of cheap (or even free) booze.
Milborne Port, famous for its, award-winning opera company, has gone one better and is twinned with Utopia, an island in the centre of the Pacific Ocean.
Now they are up in arms because Horsington wants to get in on the act.
It all started when the EU’s External Action Service (equivalent to the UK’s Foreign Office/Overseas Aid department) began throwing money at Utopia for wind farm development. Then, before you could say “Geoffrey Boycott”, they were giving grants to Utopia’s cricket school, and finally their tourism website.
Before long it was rumoured that leading citizens from Milborne Port were flying off to the Pacific and indulging in so-called “cultural exchanges”, the considerable cost of which was being borne by the EU. (And therefore YOU, the British Taxpayer –Ed)
This Utopia tourism website picture shows the kind of people visitors on twinning trips might meet during “cultural exchanges”.
Sure enough, Milborne Port then announced that it was to stage a lavish production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s rarely-performed comic opera “Utopia Limited” in the village hall, a clear case of bribery, favouritism, nepotism and patronage (Steady –Ed). The Opera is about what happens on a Pacific island when British management consultants get involved.
Horsington’s gripe is that a number of Milborne Port performers live, or have lived, in Horsington and believe that it is deeply unfair that Horsington should miss out on a potential investment and cultural bonanza. Chris Bailward, a longtime resident of Horsington and member of the MPO told the blog “If anyone who should go on all-expenses paid trips to the South Pacific during the wettest winter on record, it is us. It can be very damp on the Marsh.”
Neil Edwards, spokesperson for the Milborne Port Twinning Association responded angrily:” I cannot believe the cheek of Horsington to even attempt something like this. They’ve overstepped the mark. Milborne Port has a long standing tradition of twinning, already sharing links with the town of Rederring which is on the border between Denmark and the UK and of course, Titipu, Japan. The Utopia Chamber of Commerce left me in no doubt that any approach from Horsington would be met with stern opposition there. If you ask me, Horsington should twin themselves with Brigadoon and disappear for a century”.
Utopia’s celebrity magazine seems familiar – and so do its celebrities!
The blog has looked at the Utopia website and admits that Utopia is a fascinating place, well worth a visit
It even has its own celebrity magazine.
Several of the members of the ruling clique look strangely familiar. Click on the image on the left to enter the website.
Horsington’s campaign to install a defibrillator in the disused phone box has been successful in raising enough money for the project to go ahead. A last minute grant of £850 by Somerset County Council, negotiated by Councillor William Wallace, tipped the balance.
Funding has also come from South Somerset District council (£750), the Lions club (£250), from various fund raising events, including a projected donation from the music and craft festival.
It is not just a question of buying the defibrillator. The machine has to be installed, the phone box needs refurbishing, electricity has to be paid for, and the local VETS (Village Emergency Telephone Service) set up and maintained. This last item is fundamental to the success of the operation . It rings all the volunteers simultaneously, and the first one to pick up can accept or refuse the callout. It goes on ringing all the others until there is a positive response. VETS can be used for any medical emergency, not just heart attacks.
Charles James, who has masterminded the project, reckons that with a donation from the music and craft festival, there will be enough money to carry out all this work and run the VETS system for up to 4 years.
The Defibrillator will enable emergency treatment for heart attacks for most residents of the Horsington area (Including the Cheritons and Templecombe) within 5-10 minutes. Research shows that the quicker the treatment, the better the outcome. The difference can be dramatic.
Seven volunteers have come forward to operate the system. More are needed. No medical training is necessary, but of course anyone with relevant experience is welcome.
It’s all happening in April! Spring is in the air! Anything missing? Email the editor editor@idnet.com
Regular activities (village hall unless stated). Mondays Pilates 6pm Tuesdays Upholstery 10.30 am , Badminton 8pm, Curry Night, Half Moon (until Easter) Wednesdays Adult tap dancing 6.15 Thursdays Art 10.00 Fridays Art 10.00
Other Events Wednesday 2nd April Wincanton Races, 2.15, “ANVIL” Discussion group – “Freedom of Expression”, Quaker Hall, Wincanton 7.00 More. . . Thursday 3rd April Music Night, Half Moon, 8.30 Saturday April 5th Horsington Music and Craft Festival. From 10am-late. More…
Spectra Music at St Luke and St Teresa’s Church, Wincanton at 7.30pm Monday 7th April Ladies lunch Group, Rose &crown, Trent Tuesday 8th April North Cheriton Gardeners Society, North Cheriton Village Hall, 7,30 Thursday 10th April Parish Council, 7.30, Village Hall Wednesday 12th April Live screening from the Royal Opera House of Mozart’s “Don Giovani”. 6. 45 Cineworld, Yeovil. More. . . Saturday 13th April Wincanton Races, (Childrens day) 2.30 Sunday 20 April Easter Sunday Quiz, Half Moon, 8.00 Wednesday 23rd AprilHitchcock “, starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson – Wincanton Film Society, King Arthur’s School, 7.30 Wednesday 23rd April – Saturday 26 April “Utopia Limited”, by Gilbert & Sullivan, performed by Milborne Port Opera. Milborne Port Village Hall, 7.30 More. . . Thursday 24 April Coach trip to see “Utopia” at Milborne Port. Various departure points include the Cheritons, the Half Moon and Templecombe. Details from the Half Moon 01963 370140More
Thursday 26th April Wincanton Races 2.20 Monday 28 April Horsington Parish Church Annual Meeting, followed by Annual Parochial church meeting, Parish Church, 7.30
The Royal Ballet – The Winter’s Tale, Live relay, Cineworld, Yeovil, assume 6.45 More . .
St John’s Church services
6th April 9.15 am Holy Communion with Sunday School 13th April 11am Palm Sunday -Morning Prayer 17th April 7.30 pm, Maundy Thursday Holy Communion, St Mary the Virgin, Templecombe 18th April Good Friday, 7.00pm, A service of Hymns and readings 20th April Easter Sunday, 9.15am Holy Communion 27th April 8.30 Holy Communion (BCP)
Fasten your seatbelts for a great Saturday in Horsington. On Saturday April 5th. .Eight bands will play at an all- day music festival, alongside a crafts fair, a model circus exhibition, children’s’ rides, the Castle Carey carnival bus and a bouncy castle. Full catering will be provided. The venue is the Half Moon pub, and its environs.
There will also be plenty of trade stands selling local crafts, art, books, jewellery, clothing and local produce.
John Samson, who has organized the festival single handed, promises a great day, rain or shine, with something for everyone.
The fair opens at 10 am and the first band starts playing at 10.30
The festival is in aid of the Horsington area defibrillator fund, and the associated VETS (Village Emergency Telephone Service), which will be used to summon the volunteers in case of an emergency.
The festival has a long and distinguished list of 23 sponsors who are supporting the event financially or practically. This includes John Samsom’s company, Somerset Mini Marquees, which is providing all the tentage and weather protection.
The band running order is:
1 pm The Dissipated Men’s Washboard band
2 pm Tom Clements
3 pm King Arthur’s Rock Band
4 pm The Defibrillators
5 pm The 2-foot Moose B
6.30 pm Theya & Band
8 pm Makeshift People Band
9 pm Rip It Up
