2

WHO’S WHO IN THE BENEFICE

Rector The Revd. Tim Hawkings, The Rectory, Cheddar Road,

Axbridge 732261 Curate The Revd. Andrew Hemming 01761 462582 Assistant Priest The Revd. John Angle, 14 Farthing Combe, Axbridge 733695 Readers

Pam Williams, 2 Beech Road, Shipham 843772 Sue Latimer, 9, Hippisley Drive, Axbridge 732583

Peter Rutter, 8 Beech Road, Shipham 843319

AXBRIDGE - THE CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Churchwardens Peter Smith 734601 Judith Strange 733783 PCC Secretary Carole Carey 743883 PCC Treasurer Elwyn James 733185 Organist/Choir Martin Latham 733010 Mother’s Union & Sacristan Janet Angle 733695 Messy Church & Sunday School Peter Dixon 732890 Little Angels Anne Smith 07843946949 Safeguarding Officer Margaret James 733185 Tower Captain Roy Shallish 732137 Mag. Distribution Lal Adamson 732221

SHIPHAM - THE CHURCH OF ST. LEONARD Churchwardens Trish Ashmore 843388 Margaret Howell 842201 PCC Secretary Nigel Mallett 844997 PCC Treasurer Paul Ashmore 843388 Sacristan Trish Ashmore 843388 Lenny’s Coffee Shop Jill Lewis 782845 Organist David Williams 843772

Tower Correspondent Paul Ashmore 843388 Friday Lunches Jan Agate 842607 Diney Costeloe 843907 Mag. Distribution Roger Hughes 843383

ROWBERROW - THE CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS Churchwardens Sue Erasmus 843121 Adrian Adams 820058 PCC Secretary Jane Gunn 842561 PCC Treasurer Vernon Erasmus 843121 Tower Captain Adrian Adams 820058 Mag. Distribution Margaret Pritchard 852568

(Note: Unless otherwise stated the area code for all telephone numbers is 01934)

3

As Bishop Peter reminds

us in his article this month

on page five, Advent is all abou t an amaz ing

adventure, and involves

us in a journey to

Bethlehem.

For us Advent begins this

year by saying thank you and goodbye to

Andrew Hemming. Andrew came to us four and a half years ago in the final year of his

training at Salisbury Theological College to

do a parish placement.

He was then ordained at Wells

Cathedral in 2011 and has completed his

curacy in our Benefice. For the vast majority of this time he has been juggling his ministry

here while working for First Great Western,

with his daily commute to Swindon or

beyond. He has managed to balance the

demands of job and parochial ministry, and

occasionally fit in some time for private life. During his curacy he has made a deep

impact on many people through his sunny

character, his enthusiasm, energy and

honesty. He has a very disciplined rule of

life, which is built around belonging to the

Franciscan Third Order. His sermons are

always carefully thought out, and he has gradually developed his own style. In

preaching Andrew is always keen to engage

w i t h t h e

scripture of the

day, and to ask

what it has to say to us,

without ducking

the diff icult

questions that

are sometimes

thrown up. His

aim is not to p r e s e n t

something –

“this is it,

believe this” –

but to draw

people into a thoughtful response to the Gospel. Through it he has displayed a

palpable enthusiasm in the mission and

goodness of God.

We shall miss him as he moves on to

his next post, but recognise that he is ready

to take on more responsibility within

parochial ministry.

Cathy too has made a significant

contribution, particularly through her part in the Sunday School at Axbridge and Godly

Play storytelling.

They are moving

on to the parish of

Redhill, where

Andrew will have

responsibility for Christ Church, and

also contribute to

the wider Benefice

o f W r i n g t on ,

Butcombe, and

Burrington. We offer them both

our warm good

w i s h e s , o u r

gratitude, and our

prayers for this next chapter in the

adventure of ministry. For the rest of us, we face our journey

to Bethlehem and Christmas. On 13

December in our evening service at Axbridge

Beth Samways, who is a lecturer in the

History of Art at Bristol University, will be

exploring some of the journeys to Bethlehem

that we find in a number of wonderful paintings. Not to be missed!

We will as usual be having our internal

Christmas card, which will be given out in

church. If you would like to be included on

that, please let one of the churchwardens

know. All proceeds will go as usual to the Church Housing Trust.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

4

Blooming Grooming

Professional dog grooming

Clipping and styling

Hand stripping

Ears cleaned

Nails clipped

Kind and gentle handling; all breeds catered for

Phone: 01934 710720; Mobile: 07909 763052

10 King Alfred Mews, Wedmore

P&R DOMESTIC

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

We repair most makes of

Washing Machines, Dishwashers, Dryers, Vac-

uum Cleaners & Cookers.

(Small charge for estimates)

PD LOVERIDGE

Tel: Cheddar 742527 or 01278 789132

FAST RELIABLE SERVICE

LOW RATES

NO CALL OUT CHARGE

Domestic & Commercial High Pressure Jetting

Toilets, sinks & drains unblocked

Septic tank emptying

CCTV surveys

Drain tracing & replacing

Drain relining

Drain Excavation

Root cutting

Aquablast: Hill End Farm, Hill End, Locking, Weston super Mare

Freephone: 0800 0978255

Telephone: 01934 824355

5

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

Cllr Peter Yusen writes:

The Civic Ceremonies we

have attended have been

enjoyable experiences

and we have been

pleased to represent our Town. We were

particularly proud and honoured to represent

the Axbridge people this year at some of the

1914+100 Services of Reflection in Somerset

and also in November at the Royal British

Legion Axbridge Remembrance Day Parade and Service. Many will be aware of a family

or friend who has lost someone either in the

World Wars or recent military conflicts.

Wearing a poppy and contributing to the

Royal British Legion Appeal both reminds and

allows us to give thanks for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. But while the poppy is

a symbol for reflection of the past, it must

also be a symbol of the present and hope for

the future. I saw this mirrored in the

Axbridge Parade; the widow proudly wearing

the medals of her late husband, serving

NCO’s in uniform and uniformed youth groups all reminding us of the present and

future. In this respect I must thank the

Officers and Group Leaders of those youth

organisations for their time and talents, as

well as the smart young people who were on

parade. The Guides, long established in Axbridge and the more recent Sea Cadets,

were both confident in the Parade and

wreath laying as well as in the Church

Service protocol. Reverend Andrew

Hemming gave a thoughtful and sensitive

address which complimented the earlier

muffled bell ringing. A Chief Petty Officer and two ratings

from HMS Somerset on a weekend visit to

Bristol joined the Parade and Service and

met residents and youth groups afterwards

for light refreshments, courtesy of the RBL.

The theme of remembrance had also been evident on Saturday 8 October at the Voices

of Axbridge tea party where we enjoyed cake

and tea with entertainment by the Helen

Mann ensemble. This important project

records the lives and times of present

Axbridge residents for posterity. Soon it will be the Festive Season when

we will also remember and give thanks for

the birth of Jesus Christ - Son of our Living

God - but who also went on to pay the

ultimate sacrifice as Redemption for our sin.

In giving you Seasons Greetings, Deirdre

and I wish you all a joyful and meaningful

Christmas time. May all beings be at peace.

MESSAGE FROM BISHOP PETER

I passed a shop this summer which had

Christmas goods and Christmas cards on

offer - and it was still only August! Every

year shops seem to start their Christmas

displays a week earlier. But in the annual

rush to Christmas we risk losing a great deal. In particular we lose the distinctive

emphases of Advent which is a season of

preparation and expectation.

In Advent we are invited to be still, to be

watchful and to be prayerful and to prepare

ourselves to celebrate once again the birth of Christ. The word Advent suggests both

‘Event’ and ‘Adventure’ and Christmas is both

of those things. Christmas is when we

remember the birth of a baby in a stable in

Bethlehem: a baby who was God himself.

This was God taking our nature upon himself and putting into effect his great plan of love,

whereby we might be reunited with our

Creator. That stable in Bethlehem may seem

a long way away from us, but God’s love is

the same. This is an event for us and our

families today - an event to be celebrated.

But Christmas is also an adventure. It was an adventure for the shepherds who

‘returned glorifying and praising God for all

that they had heard and seen’ (Luke 2:20).

It is an adventure for us as we open our lives

and our homes to God. It is an adventure as

we look forward to 2015 and all that that may mean for us. It is an adventure as we

trust ourselves and those we love to Christ

as Saviour and Lord.

So let me challenge you to take time this

Advent to make a space in the rush to pause,

to be still, to reflect and to prepare for the

wonder and joy that is Christmas. Let us pray that all our church services and

activities will help us draw nearer to God and

help us to concentrate on the great ‘event’

and great ‘adventure’ which is at the heart of

all we are celebrating. Furthermore, let us

ensure that this Christmas is centred more around the coming of Christ and the needs of

others, and less around ourselves.

May God grant you a peace-filled

Advent and a joy-filled Christmas.

+Peter Bath and Wells

6

AXBRIDGE PHARMACY

Your traditional-modern-independent Pharmacy

We serve…...We deliver

We can

ORDER YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS,

COLLECT THEM and

DELIVER THE MEDICINES TO YOUR

DOOR from these surgeries:

AXBRIDGE….

CHEDDAR….

WEDMORE….

WINSCOMBE….

CHURCHILL

& WRINGTON

Just phone 01934 733230 and ask

AXBRIDGE PHARMACY Open Mon to Fri 9am - 6pm

Closed Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays The Square, Axbridge, BS26 2AR Telephone/Fax: 01934 733230

COMPTON HOUSE

AXBRIDGE

A Grade 2 listed

Georgian House with fabulous

views across the Somerset Levels

Unique bedroom accommodation

Flexible meetings space

Private Dining Room for special

occasions

Receptions & Events for intimate

parties

Contact: 01934 733944 www.comptonhse.com

7

CHRISTMAS IN GAZA

John Angle writes: Many of you will

be aware that since the war between Israel

and Gaza I have made two visits (just four

days after the end of the war and in early

November) to Gaza to meet many friends in

the Christian community and to bring support for the needs of the Christian

Lighthouse School in Gaza City.

Over £25,000 has

been raised by the Hope

Christian Trust in just

over two months and this has been spent on the

renovation and painting of

the school building badly

damaged by shrapnel and

mortar fire, the provision

of new roofs, infilling of badly holed play grounds,

the provision of over

thirty new windows and

several new water tanks

and solar panels for

water heating. Also

money has been spent on trauma counselling for children and

teachers and support for families in homes

which have been damaged and also support

for medical expenses due to injury through

the war (there is no house insurance or NHS

in Gaza !) The small Christian community in Gaza

is thankful that damage and loss of life and

injury was relatively small amongst them.

Having said that a Christian lady was killed

and her son had two limbs amputated. Two

pupils currently at the Lighthouse School

were killed by an Israeli rocket as they fed pigeons on the roof of their house.

Throughout Gaza over two thousand

people were killed and this included,

according to UN estimates, over five

hundred children and young people. Over

one hundred thousand people are currently still homeless, their homes having been

destroyed in the war.

Just as many Christians in the Arab

world will remember Eid with parties and the

exchanging of gifts so many Arabs use

Christmas in a similar way. But a time of year characterised by hope for the future

with the birth in Bethlehem of the Prince of

Peace, Jesus, Issa, the Saviour of the world,

is not bringing much in the way of peace or

hope for the people of Gaza. Wherever I

went people were anticipating another war;

they could see no future of peace or joy for

their families. I visited United Nations

schools where every class room was filled with large extended families: over 20 to a

room. Children were being educated in

shifts in other school buildings. I visited

several homes on a wet

morning where war holed

roofs were letting in

water; people were living in the ruins. The "silent

killer" - winter - was

approaching. There is no

escape: the borders are

closed.

If all this is helping to make you feel a little

disturbed or guilty at the

prospect of a happy and

snug Christmas with

family and friends, with

wine, good food and plenty of fun, consider

moving on from Gaza to Syria, travel

further to Kurdistan and Iraq and then

wander on to the Central African Republic,

Nigeria, Sudan.

The Angel's message was that in Jesus

we would find "peace on earth and good will to all people". Maybe you cannot reach

Africa or the Middle East but do something

as a family this Christmas: give a gift to

someone in real need; say prayers for those

in dire circumstances; write a letter, make a

telephone call. Today, Jesus spreads peace and goodwill through his followers: you and

me!

Spread love, bring blessing!

THE ROXY AT AXBRIDGE

The Roxy is a non-profit community

cinema and everyone is welcome.

December’s programme is:

5 December: The Hobbit: The

Desolation Of Smaug (cert 12A) - 2013

12 December: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (cert PG) - 2013

19 December: It’s A Wonderful Life

(cert U) - 1946

For popular films it’s almost always

necessary to book, calling 07725 051523.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

Huge areas of Gaza particularly in the north and east

have been devastated making homes uninhabitable

8

CHEDDAR TYRE SUPPLIES Tyres & Batteries are our Business

Service is our Silent Salesman

1A Valley Line Industrial Estate

Station Road, Cheddar

Somerset BS27 3EE

Telephone : 01934 742390 Fax : 01934 743397

SPANISH CLASSES IN AXBRIDGE

Get together with friends, or on your own, to try a new language!

Pre-book 4 classes face-to-face; then claim an extra free lesson over Skype!

Tel: 01934 733878 or 07970 592421

ATTENTION FUN SEEKERS!

Axbridge Quiz Night

Saturday 7 February 2015

7pm for 7.30pm

Axbridge Town Hall Tickets £6 (includes a sandwich supper)

Please bring your own drink and glasses Teams of up to six should contact either:

Heather Hawkings (732261) or Alison Walke (732256)

9

CATCH THIS PRICE INCREASE

From 2015 the price of Catch this will

see its first price increase in seven years.

The new pricing will be as follows:

Annual Subscription £6

Individual copy 60p

SHIPHAM, ROWBERROW AND STAR

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

Once more Christmas is approaching

and on Thursday 11 December we will be

going to Beachlands Hotel, Weston-super-

Mare for our Annual Christmas Lunch. The

coach will pick up in Shipham Square at noon

and in Axbridge Square at 12.10pm.

Looking forward to seeing you there. For further information please call Mrs Averil

Long 01934 733053.

SHIPHAM, ROWBERROW & STAR W.I.

Lyn Wood writes: Our next meeting is

after the Christmas and New Year break and will take place on Monday 12 January 2015

in the George Thiery room at Shipham

Village Hall. Our meeting starts at 7.30p.m

and we have an evening with Roger Flower.

Refreshments of tea and coffee plus

home made cakes are provided. Everyone is

welcome so come along and enjoy good company and an interesting evening. Please

contact Lyn Wood for further information

about our W.I. on 01934 843620.

AXBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND

LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

The next meeting of Axbridge Archaeological and Local History Society will

be held in the Town Hall, Axbridge on

Sunday 25 January at 3pm when the topic

will be ‘Gems from the Axbridge Archive.’

The speaker will be Sue Berry.

Readers of Catch this may know that

Axbridge possesses a rare and important archive of documents that stretches back

into the Middle Ages. The archive is the

property of Axbridge Town Trust and, for

many years, was housed in the Town Hall.

For the last few years, the archive has been

stored in climate-controlled conditions at the Somerset Heritage Centre in Norton

Fitzwarren. There, the documents have been

studied by Sue Berry, a senior archivist who

has discovered many fascinating details

about the business of the Town in times gone

by and about some of the quirky characters

who emerge from the Town’s past. Sue’s sub

title, To the Blind Man for the Keeping of the

Clock, perhaps gives a flavour of her talk. Do come and join members of the Town

Trust and the Archaeological and Local

History Society for what promises to be an

enthralling afternoon.

As a follow-up to the January meeting,

on Saturday 21 February, members of the AALHS will travel to the Heritage Centre for a

visit commencing at 2.30pm, when Sue

Berry will display the archive, explain how

the stories emerged and discuss issues of

research and conservation. Again, guests are

invited to join members of the Society. For more information about these

events and about the AALHS in general,

please contact Robin Goodfellow on 01934

732874.

SOMERSET SINGERS

The Somerset Singers are a Choral Society based in this local area with many of

our members living in the Local Ministry

Group area and several within the Axbridge

Benefice. We rehearse every Wednesday at

Sidcot Quaker Hall at 7:30pm.

On Saturday 13 December, our

Christmas Concert will be Bach's Christmas Oratorio at St Cuthbert's Church in Wells at

7:30pm. The Somerset Singers will be

conducted by our Musical Director Jonathan

Vaughan with the Lochrian Ensemble (Leader

Catherine Black) and Soloists - Christina

Birchall-Sampson (Soprano), Alexander Simpson (Alto), Richard Rowntree (Tenor),

James Birchall (Bass).

Tickets priced £12 will be available in

advance from the Wells Tourist Information

Centre and also by telephoning 01934

842353. Tickets priced £14 will be available on the door. Further information may be

found on line at:

www.somersetsingers.co.uk

Our next production on 9 May 2015, again at St Cuthbert's Church in Wells, will

include the "Faure Requiem" and rehearsals

for this will begin on 14 January 2015 at

Sidcot Quaker Hall; new and returning

members will be most welcome.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

10

Fairtrade Stall at the Axbridge

Farmer’s Market on the first Saturday of every month. Do come along and support. If you’d like to help man the stall please contact Kevin Walke on 01934 732256

11

SHIPHAM PLAYERS

Shipham Players will be presenting,

Mother Goose at Shipham village Hall on

5th, 6th and 7th February 2015. Tickets

at £7 for adults and £3 for those aged 18 or

under go on sale at Lenny’s cafe, The

Square, Shipham at 10am on Saturday 17 January. Early booking is advised as tickets,

particularly for the Saturday matinee, always

sell fast. Thereafter they can be purchased

from Hansford’s store, The Square, Shipham.

Payment is by cash or cheque only, sorry

telephone booking not available. Mother Goose is one of the oldest

pantomimes, first staged in 1902 at Drury

Lane in London. Shipham Players

presentation will be colourful, fast moving

with modern songs and a very funny up-to-

date script with local references, but still retain all the traditional aspects of panto that

audiences love.

Who needs to spend a fortune seeing

Pudsey the dog at the Bristol Hippodrome

when Shipham Players have their very own

seven foot dancing goose!

MOTHERS’ UNION

Janet Angle writes: October

was a busy and exciting month in

the Deanery. It was our turn to

lead Cathedral prayers, the focus

for the service was the involvement many of us have in

making baby gowns and knitting for the

Maternity hospital neonatal units.

From the 20th to 22nd November Bath

and Wells had the joy and privilege of having

a visit from the Worldwide president Lynn Temby. She wanted to visit as many

Deaneries as

possible. It was our

pleasure on the

20th to entertain

Lynn at lunchtime.

15 people joined her for lunch in

Axbridge which was

a very informal and

enjoyable time.

On the 22 November we had a Diocesan

day at Monkton Combe school when Jane Auld from the National Parenting Group

spoke concerning the different agencies that

support parenting initiatives. We were very

surprised at the help that is 'out there' and

it’s all on their web site, enabling anyone to

find a group nearby to give help.

Lynn's talk was inspirational: whether

about her visits to various places in the

world, both poor and very exotic, Mothers’

Union was certainly flying the flag there. Two stories will stick with me. Lynn

was on a train trying to put her suitcase on

the rack. A Greek Orthodox priest offered to

help. Noticing her badge, he said that he

had heard of the good work of the Mother's

Union. He then asked where she been. She

replied "I have been to a committee meeting as I am the Worldwide President of the

Mothers' Union". The priest asked everyone

in the carriage to stand as this lady was

more important than the Queen!

Another time on a train a young

businessman made a remark on the badge she was wearing. She told him the story of

the Mothers’ Union, the different

departments and works. When she got to

share about the gowns made for still born

babies he started to cry. Thinking she had

upset him she apologised. He then told her that 'Sophie' was handed to his wife and

himself dressed in a gown with MU on it and

he had always wanted to say thank you to

the group called MU.

We were all encouraged to wear our

badge, because you will never know with

whom you can share the story of the Mothers' Union.

[See page 17 for Axbridge MU]

RNLI QUIZ

The local RNLI Branch will be holding

their Grand Quiz in Shipham Village Hall on

Saturday 31 January. Doors will open at 7pm and the Quiz will start at 7:30pm sharp.

Organisations and Groups are invited to

enter teams of 4 to 6 people at a charge of

£6 per head that will include a Mega-

Ploughman's Supper during the interval.

There will be a wine, beer, cider and soft drinks bar throughout the evening plus a

quality raffle with many prizes and a likely

auction of prestige products and events.

Experience has shown that this is an

enjoyable fun evening with prizes for the

winning team, so why not join us? Further information from Tina Joyce

(842304), Sue Watson (843554) or Paul

Ashmore (843388) including registration of

teams.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

Lynn Temby visits Axbridge

12

Axbridge Post

Office

Extensive range of quality greetings cards

Stationery and office supplies

Large selection of local pictures

Euros and U.S. dollars in stock

Agents for Johnsons the Dry Cleaners

Tel: 01934 732227

Counselling Maire Campbell - Cert. CC & Dip. Pst (Relate)

Counselling for couples & individuals

Relationships - Sexual Issues Separation & Divorce - Parenting Difficulties

Personal issues

Confidentiality assured. Flexible appointment times.

All enquiries Tel: 01761 221448 / 0777 900 3168

HAMPDEN

OSTEOPATHIC

CLINIC

24a Woodborough Road, Winscombe North Somerset BS25 1AD

For appointments tel: 01934 843617

* OSTEOPATHY Janet White Danielle Crawshaw

* ACUPUNCTURE Dan Lloyd

* REFLEXOLOGY/THAI FOOT MASSAGE Polly Hall

* HOMEOPATHY Patricia Clark

* MASSAGE — HOT STONE/INDIAN Amy Chandler

HEAD & STRESS BUSTING

13

SHIPHAM VILLAGE HALL

As always, you will receive a warm

welcome at our drop-in centre that opens at 10.30am. Enjoy a cup of Fairtrade tea/

coffee (50p and top-ups free) with biscuits.

The activity usually starts at 11.00am

and there is no charge. A freshly cooked

lunch is served at noon to those who have

pre-booked (limited numbers - book early!).

Programme for 12 December

On our last get together of the year, we

are pleased to welcome The Olive Tree Theatre Group to entertain us and the

children of Shipham C. of E. First School

who will be singing songs from their Nativity

play after lunch. Everyone is invited to join

in with Carol singing and we welcome the

Revd. Tim Hawkings and Heather to share our Christmas Lunch and festivities.

Lunch: Soup or Pâté, Turkey, Bacon

& Sausage Stuffing with Roast Potatoes and

vegetables of the Season

Dessert: Christmas Pudding or Trifle

We will also be serving Mulled Wine

courtesy of Sally and there will be a soft

drink for those who may not want the Mulled

Wine.

Programme for January 2015

16 January: we are pleased to

introduce Baz Hamblin who will be

presenting a talk entitled: Time Gentlemen Please.

30 January: I am pleased to welcome again our popular Bird man, Don

Hurrell, to update us on the Bird World in

Somerset this winter.

Contacts:

Gloria (lunch bookings) 842360

Ray 843562

Liz 843038

As this is our last session of the year we

would like to wish everyone a very Merry

Christmas and an even Merrier New Year! Thank you all for your support throughout

this year and we look forward to 2015.

KNIT FOR PEACE

Margaret Crawford

writes: Our local Knit

For Peace group has

just celebrated it’s first

birthday and with over

400 items knitted and donated in the last year

it has been a busy first

12 months.

Knit for Peace is a national charity

which collects hand knitted items and

distributes them to people in need. Amongst those they donate to are premature baby

units, old people in fuel poverty, foodbanks

and children in deprivation abroad. You may

like to visit their website to tell you more.

Our local group

was set up by Lisa Layton in

Shipham in

October 2013

and we meet

monthly at her

home to take

our knitted items, chat,

swap ideas and have tea and cakes.

We knit whatever takes our fancy in

whatever size our amount of wool permits.

You will see jumpers, cardigans, hats,

mittens, toys and a spectacular “gingerbread” house.

In order to keep going we need more

wool. Do you have any bags of wool, large,

small, any thickness and any colour which

you would be willing to donate for this

wonderful work? We are very happy to

collect anything you may have and you know it will be going to a very worthy cause.

To donate or to find out more please call

Margaret Crawford on 733351.

ST LEONARD'S SHIPHAM GIFT DAY

The Churchwardens & Treasurer of St Leonard's Shipham thank all those people

who responded to St Leonard's Gift Day on

26 October. The current total raised stands

at £2,540 of which a sum of £2,396 was Gift

Aid; this means the Church will be able to

recover a further £636 Tax & GASDS from

HMRC in early 2015. This is a magnificent result and we offer our grateful thanks for

your support.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

14

Lenny’s Coffee

Shop The Square, Shipham

For Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea

Home made cakes Light lunches - toasties, jacket potatoes,

salads and home made soup

Opening Times Tuesday to Friday 11.00 am - 3.00pm

All welcome

See also Page 21 for Christmas lunches

C V Gower Funeral Directors

The Square, Winscombe, BS25 1BS

Tel.: 01934 842945

Independent Funeral Directors

24 hr service, every day of the year

Private Chapel of Rest

Traditional, green & non-religious

funerals arranged.

Pre-paid Funeral Plans

For free advice please phone

Lindsay Lawrence Dip.F.D.

or email: mail@cvgower.co.uk

DISCLAIMER

The Benefice of Axbridge,

Shipham and Rowberrow does not

specifically approve or endorse any

product or service offered by

advertisers or contributors and will

not be held responsible for any

errors, omissions or loss resulting

from the use of material in this

magazine.

15

COULD YOU HELP THE CITIZENS OF

SEDGEMOOR?

A m y J o n e s ( C E O

Sedgemoor CAB) writes:

Every year Sedgemoor

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

helps about 5,000 people who are experiencing problems in

their lives. These issues may

be about debt, employment, relationships,

benefits, housing, consumer matters,

utilities or often a combination of these. The

need for the services of the CAB continues to grow year on year. The present economic

climate and policy changes have produced a

sharp increase in demand. Our clients are

people who are experiencing challenges in

their life and need help to resolve their

issues. We provide advice and information to empower individuals and help those in

greatest need.

Sedgemoor CAB’s headquarters are in

Bridgwater and there are outreach sessions

in Highbridge, Burnham, Cheddar,

Cannington, North Petherton and Nether

Stowey. Most advice is given by a team of

dedicated volunteer advisers. Without the

generous and public-spirited commitment of

those volunteers, many of our fellow citizens

would find life a greater struggle. Because

the demand for the CAB’s service has increased, we want to recruit more

volunteer advisers. Would you consider

joining our team? You don’t need any

special skills or knowledge, just a keen

interest in other people and a desire to help

those with problems. There is a

comprehensive training programme and plenty of support. Volunteers generally

commit one day a week to the Bureau,

although our rota has some flexibility.

If you feel you might be able to help

us, you can ring the Bureau on 01278

459009 and ask to talk to Sarah, who organises adviser training, or to me. You

are assured of a warm welcome and it would

great to hear from you.

Amy Jones, CEO Sedgemoor CAB

Royal Clarence House

High St.

Bridgwater

TA6 3BH

SHIPHAM COMMUNITY CINEMA

The fun starts at Shipham Community

Cinema on Sunday 7 December, with our

Christmas family special. Our film is The

Lego Movie (cert U), great fun for all ages,

with its adult friendly smart humour and joyful animation for young viewers. Bring

along a Lego model and receive a lolly or

sweets as a reward – no age limitations on

this either! All the models will be proudly

displayed. The film will start at 4pm and

doors open at 3.30pm, giving time to admire

the constructions. Tea, coffee, squash, home made cakes and mince pies will be

available. Check our website for full details:

http://cinema.shiphamhall.co.uk

and on Facebook and Twitter, plus there will be flyers in various school bags!

Our “grown-up” film on Friday 12

December is the delightful Grand

Budapest Hotel (cert 15), directed by Wes

Anderson. He has a reputation for the care

he takes in the “look” of his work, so it is always a visual pleasure, and this quirky

comedy-drama follows in this tradition. It is

a joy to see Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton,

etc., all obviously having great fun, and

displaying superb comic timing.

Doors open at 7.15pm and the

programme starts at 7.45pm. Members and

under-18s pay £2, guests pay £4. Local

beer and ice creams are just some of the

refreshments on offer.

Before I wish all the friends of Shipham

Cinema a Very Happy Christmas, I would just like to remind you of our first 2015 film,

Inside Llewyn Davis on Friday 9 January.

Enjoy the festivities!

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

16

QUAKERS AT SIDCOT

You can discover the Peace and Power

of a Quaker Meeting on Sundays at 10:30am

(Children are welcome and have their own activities).

We also meet every Thursday evening

at 6.30pm for half an hour

You are most welcome to join us at:

The Friend’s Meeting House,

Oakridge Lane, Sidcot BS25 1LT.

For more information contact us through

www.sidcotquaker.org or by calling 843065

George House

We would like to apologise to all our customers, past, present and

yet to come, for the extended closure of our premises at

THE SQUARE, AXBRIDGE BS26 2AP

due to property renovation.

If you would like to discuss the sale

or purchase of antiques, curios or

collectables please telephone:

01934 733939 or

07979 994126.

Well everyone......we hope to open the shop before

Christmas now..don’t hold your breath! We hope you

will be able to pick up those last minute gifts and our

gorgeous lavender lotions & potions.

“And is there honey still for tea”??

The bees in our field have come up trumps this year.

We have the most delicious honey with a hint of

lavender. 01934 733939 for enquiries.

See you soon and we wish you a very Happy Christmas.

17

SHIPHAM, ROWBERROW AND STAR

HISTORY SOCIETY

Jill Smith writes: Despite the weather,

I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of

stoic members at our last meeting and we

were rewarded with a great evening of the

most wonderfully evocative photos of the glorious Welsh Countryside; but more

importantly for most of us were the delightful

Toy Railways of the principality.

Initially the narrow gauge (1ft 11.5”)

railway lines were built for the haulage of

coal and slate. Peter started the journey

with the railways built to serve Big Pit. As a Society we visited Big Pit in June 2013 on a

glorious hot summer day, however we didn’t

venture onto the railway on that occasion,

there was too much else that grabbed our

attention. So we were told, that during the

winter snows of 1947 when everyone was snowed in – the train carrying coal at Big Pit

was marooned “up the hill” – lots of

footprints in the snow led from the valley up

to the marooned train, and back down again,

until the loaded train was emptied. The

residents of the valley were kept warm during that severe winter!

Peter then led us through the Slate

Quarry Railways of Gwynedd; the sheer

grandeur of the slate quarries took your

breath away and these remote and

dangerous areas were worked with basically

hand tools; the labourers were certainly tough characters.

On to the Ffestiniog, the Talyllyn and

Vale of Rheidol Railways as well as the

Welshpool & Llanfair Railway; all manfully

served by the dearest little engines. Peter

knew each engine and when they had been built as well as when they had been restored.

About 40 to 50 railway enthusiasts charter

trains during the low seasons to photograph

these trains sometimes getting the engines

to “pose” in appropriate places, often with

restored police cars of the era as well as Steam Rollers, or

Vintage Cars.

Peter showed us a

photo of The City of

Truro: the engine

built in 1904 and the

first engine to achieve 100 mph;

this on the Wellington Bank in 1905.

However, my favourite railway of the evening

was the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway:

the scenery was just awe inspiring. It

certainly was an evening well worth braving

the elements for, we all thoroughly enjoyed

the trip down memory lane.

Next month we welcome the return of

Mark Bullen on Tuesday 9 December at Shipham Village Hall. Meetings start at

7.30pm and everyone is welcome. Members

wishing to join us for our New Year’s

Celebrations on 13 January need to let me

know at December’s meeting, together with a

minimum deposit of £5 per person.

AXBRIDGE MOTHERS’ UNION

A good number of people turned out

to welcome back to Axbridge the

Reverend Julie Sims and to listen to her talk about her work as Chaplain

at St Monica's.

There had been a disappointing support

for Cathedral Prayers earlier in the month but

those who attended found the service in the

Lady Chapel a pleasant experience. By the time you read this the M.U.

Deanery Lunch will have taken place at Brent

House. It is always a good opportunity to

meet and talk to members of other branches.

The next Deanery event will be the

Advent Service in Puriton on 8 December at 2.30pm. Anyone needing a lift should

contact Janet Angle.

The M.U. will, once again, be supporting

the Gender Violence fortnight with a display

in church from 25 November to the 10

December.

The next Branch meeting will be the Christmas Coffee Morning on Wednesday 10

December from 10.30am and will be at the

home of Kate and Mike Taylor.

Looking ahead to 2015 the first meeting

of the New Year will be on Wednesday 14

January at 2.30pm in the Church rooms.

A THANK YOU FROM THE EDITOR

There are so many people involved in

the production of Catch this magazine: from the printing and proof reading team, the

correspondents through to the co-ordinators

and distributors (who also now have to

contend with a price increase—see page 9)

and not forgetting the webmaster. With

limited space it would be impossible to list them all. Suffice to say that the wider Catch

this team all deserve a huge thank you for

their efforts. From myself to the whole team

and all our readers, I wish you a Happy

Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

18

Susan O’Brien—your local Cambridge Weight Plan consultant

If you would like help with slimming, why not give me a call so I can help you man-

age YOUR weight.

Mobile, flexible appointments available

Tel: 07749 302652 Email: obriensusan11@gmail.com

Axbridge Town Hall

Thinking about a fundraising event, gig or party? Axbridge Town Hall is a great venue for your event

Reasonable hire rates are available

For further information contact Sarah Emery on: 07748 561114

or email: sarah@emerybs26.fsnet.co.uk

You can also check online at:

http://www.axbridge-tc.gov.uk/trust/TownHallBookings.html

Axbridge Methodist

Church Services

Every Sunday at 11am

Minister:

Revd. Carol Chaplin

Tel: 01934 852897

SHIPHAM COMMUNITY CAR SCHEME

For Shipham, Rowberrow & Star residents

Coordinator for 2014:

Sue Hucker on 844176

19

FRIENDS OF AXBRIDGE CHURCH

What an exceptional two months FOAC

has had! In October “Youthful Spirit Gospel

Choir” sang in church – so many people

came and enjoyed a truly memorable evening. These youngsters, including the

mus ic ians ,

are all pupils

of Churchill

School and

a r e s o

enthusiastic and talented

it is a joy to

see them.

The “Joyful

Spirit” adult

choir had not sung here before so we actually had two for the price of one.

Thanks to your support we raised very

nearly £1,000.

Then in early November we held a

Shopping Evening in the Town Hall. This

has become an annual and extremely popular event. We had 20 stalls in all, 10

of which were new to us; baby clothes,

cards, cakes, Christmas Coasters, cuddly

toys, CD’s, cosmetics, wine and lavender

and many more to tempt us all. Including

the draw and the bar we raised another

£370. We are taking a break for a while, but

will be back in the New Year with some

more fund-raising ideas. All photographers

please note that we hope to produce

another calendar for 2016 so will be looking

for photos fairly soon. A huge thank you for all your support

throughout the year. The FOAC committee

wish you a very Happy and Peaceful

Christmas and New Year.

SHIPHAM GUIDES NEEDS YOU!

Bev Davies writes: Shipham Guides

have been part of the Shipham community

for some considerable time. However, we

are in need of assistance at the Unit to keep

it going into the future. Jenny Hill has been running the Unit

for a long time but will be stepping down as

Guide leader in July 2015 - the end of next

summer. The Unit currently meet on a

Tuesday evening at Shipham hall and have

approximately 20 girls regularly attending. Anyone interested in running or assisting at

Guides will need to have a DBS (previously

CRB) check and the leader will also need to

undertake the Girlguiding Adult Leadership

Qualification (with mentor support).

However, if anyone is interested in either obtaining more information via a

phone call or perhaps going along to a

Guide meeting and seeing what goes on, in

the first instance please contact Jenny on

01934 742480. For any other enquiries

relating to Guides in the district, please contact me, Bev Davies, District

Commissioner for the Guides & Senior

Section on 01934 732168.

Volunteering within Guiding is a

worthwhile and rewarding role. You see the

girls grow and flourish, gain in confidence

and self-esteem before your eyes on a weekly basis! And of course, we do a wide

variety of activities. It is fun and as an

adult brings many new friends and

opportunities to do things you may not have

considered!

If you could give this some consideration, it would be much

appreciated.

AXBRIDGE METHODIST CHURCH

Axbridge Methodist Church will be

holding its Carol Service on Sunday 21

December at 3pm.

The Service will be led by Revd. Carol

Chaplin and it will be followed by Tea to

which everyone is welcome. May we take this opportunity to thank

everyone in Axbridge for their ongoing

support which is vital for this little Church to

continue it's witness in the Town.

Wishing everyone a Fulfilling and

Blessed Christmas and a Very Peaceful New

Year.

LMG BEETLE DRIVE

Want a fun evening for all ages to help

drive away the winter blues? Then why not come and join us for a

Beetle Drive on Saturday 24 January in

Church House, Cheddar at 7pm (adjacent

car park opposite the church).

Tickets (£3 for adults, children £1, to

include a Ploughman’s Supper) are available from Pam Williams tel: 843772 and Tim

Hawkings 732261.

Please bring your own drinks.

Organised by the Local Ministry Group

of Churches.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

20

Axbridge

Church Rooms

Available for hire

£11 per session. Special rates for weekly or monthly

bookings.

churchoffice@uwclub.net

PETER EVERETT

Registered Osteopath

PETER EVERETT

Registered Osteopath

Practice Premises

12 Woodborough Road

Winscombe

BS25 1AA

Churchill Surgery

‘Mendip Suite’

Pudding Pie Lane

Churchill

BS40 5EL

To make an appointment to be seen at

either address please call:

01934 844764

21

LENNY’S CHRISTMAS LUNCHES

Monday 1st to Friday 5th December

£8 per person

There will be two sittings per day:

11.45am to 1.15pm and 1.30pm to 2.45pm

Start to feel Christmassy and get into

the jolly season! Come and enjoy the meal served by fun-loving volunteers!

To make a booking either pop into

Lenny’s or phone 01934 842317.

MESSY CHURCH FOR MUMS

Cesca Cavender writes: Many of you

will have seen the poster at the back of Axbridge church advertising Messy Church

for Mums.

The idea came from some of the Mums

who bring their children to Messy Church;

they so enjoyed being creative with paints

and flowers and materials that they wondered if they could have their own space

to explore, express and enjoy an evening

together.

I believe we’ve had four or five of these

evenings now, in the Lady Chapel of St

John’s Church, with a couple of long tables for the crafts of their choice. We’ve enjoyed

glass-painting, altar frontals, hair-slides and

more. Adding to the atmosphere is live

music, with Kevin Walke at the piano a great

bonus, and a glass of wine or hot apple-

juice, even some home-made cake and

nibbles. Towards the end one of us gives a

short talk from the Bible and shares how we

can relate to this amazing God whom we

worship and who is always interested and

always believes in us, whatever muddle we

may be in. Do come and join us if you’d like to.

It’s free – but it may cost you your heart!

To talk, call me on 01934 733645.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY—SHIPHAM

The day we remembered those from

Shipham who died in the two world wars was a very special one this year. In their

memory, a Book of Remembrance had been

compiled and this was dedicated at the

service. It will be kept in church so that

everyone is able to find out about the men

and where they died. Thank you to all who

gave so generously at the service. £296 has

been sent to the Royal British Legion.

Following the service around the War

Memorial, the Parish Council had organised

a special lunch in the Village Hall. Here

there were displays from the History Society

of Shipham, films from the Shipham

Community Cinema, as well as detailed sheets of information around the walls about

the men who survived the First World War

and came home.

It was wonderful to see so many there,

to share memories and enjoy this event. A

great way to remember all who gave so much that we might live in freedom, justice

and peace.

AXBRIDGE ACTIVE LIVING

At the time of writing we are

only sure of our December

meeting programme and the first meeting in January, the

details of which are as

follows:

Wednesday 3 December:

Quiz Time (2pm).

Wednesday 17 December: Carols

sung by Axbridge First School (10am). Wednesday 7 January: “The

Grazels” (2pm).

All the above meetings will be held at

the Town Hall.

The cost remains at £2.50 (including

tea and cake). Please contact Vicky

Brice on telephone

number 07884 2644033

for further information.

We wish you all a

Peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

22

FORWARD EVENTS 1-5 Dec Lenny’s Christmas lunches (page 21)

13 Dec Somerset Singers Concert (7.30pm): Bach Christmas Oratorio

St Cuthbert's Church, Wells

19 Dec Save the Children Christmas Lunch

(Shipham Village Hall at noon) 20 Dec Axbridge Santa in the Square

21 Dec Benefice Carol Service (Axb. 6.30pm)

24 Dec Axbridge

Christingle 4pm Midnight Mass 11.30pm with

carols from 11pm

Shipham

Christingle 4pm

Midnight Mass 11.30pm Rowberrow

Christmas Carol Service 6pm

25 Dec Axbridge Family Communion 10am

Shipham Communion Service 10am Rowberrow Communion Service 8am

See back page for full details of services in December

2015

24 Jan LMG Beetle Drive (see page 23)

31 Jan RNLI Quiz (Ship. Village Hall 7pm)

5-7 Feb Shipham Players Pantomime

Mother Goose (Village Hall) 7 Feb Axbridge Quiz (7pm for 7.30pm)

18 Feb Ash Wednesday Benefice service 8pm

15 Mar Ship. Mothering Sunday Svce 10am

21 Mar Men's Big Breakfast (Barton Camp 8:30am)

28 Mar Axbridge Earth Hour: Candlelit

Concert at 8.30pm

6 Apr B&WDACR Open Towers & AGM 11 Apr Axbridge Beetle Drive (6.30pm)

9 May Somerset Singers Summer Concert:

Faure Requiem, St Cuthbert's Church

16/17 May Shipham History & Memorabilia

Exhibition (Shipham Church; in conjunction with Shipham History

Society)

27 June Axbridge Fête

If you have any future events that you

would like to see included please send them through by email to the Editor:

catch.this.magazine@outlook.com

Further information is also available

at the following websites:

www.stjohnthebaptistaxbridge.org.uk www.shipham.org.uk

www.axbridge-tc.gov.uk

AXBRIDGE REMEMBERS

Paul Passey writes: I remember

reading that every memory we bring to

mind is not the memory of the actual event,

but a recalling of the previous memory; thus

the edges may be blurred, the colours faded

and the shapes distorted. The annual Act of Remembrance tries

to clarify for all of us a picture of the horrors

and misery experienced - thankfully by just

a few of our generation. What then comes

to the minds of the vast majority of fortu-

nate non-combatants as we stand at Church

Steps and hear the familiar words?

“Lest we forget”, “We will remember them”, “For their tomorrow, we gave our

today” are all familiar phrases from Remem-

brance Sunday. Together with wreaths,

poppies, the “Last Post” and “Reveille” an

attempt is made to focus the community

mind on the awfulness of wars and its after-math, bloodshed and injuries, both physical

and mental.

Inevi tably

no common

view on war

can be

g u a r a n -teed; a

c o m m o n

view on the

despera te

need for

peace is more likely. So once again we thank the

Legion, the Sea Cadets, Guides and other

uniformed organisations for reminding us of

so many young lives lost and damaged. We

thank Andrew Hemming for leading our

town’s reflections so fittingly and we pray that God will guide all world leaders away

from the futility of conflict.

23

AXBRIDGE BROWNIES

Axbridge Brownies has been a part of

the community for many years. We now

have a new leadership team and are keen to

recruit some younger members as we have

several girls who will be moving on to Guides

this year. We meet at the Church Rooms on Thursdays from 6.15pm to 7.45pm in term

time. Brownies is a lot of fun for girls aged

between 7 and 10 years. We follow a

programme called the Brownie Adventure

which looks at ourselves, our community and

our world and has a variety of activities designed to be both thoughtful and fun. We

work on Brownie badges sometimes all

together or individually.

As the Brownie Adventure implies, there

are opportunities to take part in exciting

events, such as holidays and sleepovers as well as day visits and activities. The

Brownies are involved in planning the

programme and saying what they would like

to do. Recently we have had a games

evening with hot chocolate, a kitchen science

evening and a pretend camp fire with songs

and toasting marshmallows over candles. Axbridge Brownies were represented at

the Remembrance Day Service in November.

If you are interested in joining, either contact

Katheryn Hansford on 07584 991969 or Liz

Foster on 01934 732935 or register your

interest through the Girl guiding website through the "Join Us" tab.

AXBRIDGE GUIDES

Bev Davies writes: After the half term

break, we returned to Guides on Thursday 6

November and straight away, the girls

started their ‘Peace Go For It’; an element of the Guide programme whereby the girls

choose activities on a theme in their Patrol,

plan and undertake the activities and then

evaluate the process; how did they do?

However, on this occasion, we decided to

undertake the ‘Go For It’ as a whole Unit. The peace theme was chosen as we are doing

the activities around the time of

Remembrance and last term, the Unit

participated in an art project on a peace

theme.

The Patrols did well on their activities

and also with their ‘peace corners’; onesies being the order of the evening! For the rest

of November, we were out of the hall with

the girls meeting at the First School to do

street dancing; something the Guides are

very much looking forward to. We were then

down at the Lamb at Weare for a pub quiz.

With only three Guide meetings in

December, the festive season will soon be upon us. We are going to Taunton late-night

Christmas shopping with Cheddar Guides on

Thursday 4 December; this activity always

gets everyone ‘feeling Christmassy’. We are

then having a Ready Steady Cook Christmas

on Thursday 11 December and finishing on

the 18 December with a Christmas disco in the Town Hall. This year seems to have gone

by so quickly; is this a sign of age I wonder?

Outside of Guides, the leader team were

very proud of the girls who attended the

Remembrance Service; all girls bar about

four attended and they were excellent Ambassadors for the Unit. Our thanks to the

parents who support the girls attending this

important event.

At the October half-term, Amberley

Carter-Bradley left the Axbridge Unit and we

wish her the very best with her continued swimming. In November, we welcomed three

new Guides to the Unit; Lauren Stitch from

Weare Brownies, Olivia Tutill from Axbridge

Brownies and Aimee Russell. We hope they

all enjoy their time with Axbridge Guides.

AXBRIDGE DISTRICT TREFOIL

GUILD

A great deal of laughter and hard work

was enjoyed at the Guilds craft afternoon in

November.

In December members will enjoy

socialising at a Festive Lunch.

The next meeting will be the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 13 January

2015 at 2pm in the Catholic Church Rooms.

If you have ever been involved in

Guiding do come along and find out about the

activities of your local Trefoil Guild.

METHODIST COFFEE MORNING

Axbridge Methodist Church Coffee

Morning and Table Top Sale will take place on

Saturday 6 December in Axbridge Town Hall

from 10am until noon.

Tables will include Cakes, Plants, Bric-a

Brac and Tombola. To book a table for table top sale, at a cost of £6, please contact Edith

Channon on 01934 733016.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

24

SAVE THE CHILDREN LUNCHES

Kate Baldock writes: Our last lunch

of this year will take place on Friday 19

December, at the slightly earlier time of

12.15pm. We will be joined by the children

from Shipham First School, always an occasion to look forward to as they entertain

us with their selection of songs and carols

and we will also be serving our usual festive

lunch, to include homemade soup and mince

pies.

As you will not be hearing from me again until February, the following are a

reminder of the dates for the New Year:

9th and 23rd January and also 6th and

20th February, all at 12.30pm in Shipham

Village Hall.

May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support - our

lunch guests, our happy band of volunteers

and those of you who make regular and

generous donations to Save the Children. It

wouldn't be the same without you!

On behalf of The Lunch Bunch, a very

merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year to you all!

SHIPHAM GARDENING CLUB

Sue Trigg writes: On Thursday 4

December 2014, at 7pm in the George

Thiery Room, at Shipham Village Hall the

Club will be holding their annual Christmas meal for members. This is always a very

pleasant occasion with a delicious meal

provided by Sally Hansford.

The AGM will be held on 15 January

2015 and our first talk of the year in

February is entitled Life on the Edge; the Somerset Wetlands by Derek Briggs.

Sally Herring has taken over as

programme secretary for 2015 and has

arranged a varied list of speakers and

demonstrators for the year including The

Edwardian Garden, Peonies and Iris, Hanging Baskets plus trips to two

Monmouthshire gardens.

The Club is a friendly group meeting on

the third Thursday of the month at Shipham

Village Hall. We welcome new members

(£7.50p annual membership) and visitors

(£2.00p) at any of our meetings. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided.

Do come along and see what we have

to offer.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

THE BENEFICE OFFICE

The Church Steps, The Square,

Axbridge BS26 2AP

Email: churchoffice@uwclub.net

Rectory telephone: 01934 732261

The office, in the Church Rooms, is open on

Friday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm

CATCH THIS ORGANISATION

Deadline: 15th of each month

Copy to: catch.this.magazine@outlook.com

Adverts to: Kevin Walke 01934 732256

catch.this.advertising@hotmail.co.uk

Editor: Kevin Walke 01934 732256

catch.this.magazine@outlook.com

Correspondents:

Shipham Julia Bradshaw 844954

Rowberrow Sue Gunn 842223

Axbridge Paul Passey 733373

Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood Mendip Players is delighted to be performing

its annual Pantomime Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood on the evening of Friday 6 February 2015 with both a matinee and evening perfor-mance on Saturday 7 February 2015 in Draycott and Rodney Stoke Memorial Hall. Evening perfor-mances start at 7.30pm, matinee at 2pm.

Watch in excitement and suspense as the story unfolds. The wicked and greedy Prince John is desperate to become King, but King Richard’s children stand in the way of him and the throne of England. So he orders the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham to have them kidnapped and killed. Can Robin Hood and his Merry Men, assisted by Hayrick and Nursie along with her faithful dog Tyson save the day? This is a fun-filled traditional pantomime with plenty of audience participation.

It promises to be an evening you won’t want to miss, so save the date now! Tickets will be available from Gillian (01934 741413) and Dray-cott Post Office in January 2015. Ticket prices £7.50 adults, £4.00 children. There will be a bar and raffle at each performance (including tea/coffee for Saturday matinee). For further details call Vicky – 01934 742477.

25

CHEDDAR VALLEY FOOD BANK

SUPPORTING THOSE IN CRISIS IN

OUR COMMUNITIES

Sue Albone writes: We

are rapidly approaching

one of the most

challenging times of the

year for those in Crisis as Christmas approaches

and cold weather arrives.

With schools closed, children will be at

home and excited about Christmas Day with

parents now needing to provide three meals

a day. Challenged to meet committed bills

means many struggle to provide food for the

table besides gifts for their family. It is a

most difficult time both emotionally and

extremely stressful.

They are not alone in this. Many in Crisis are sick or facing benefit delays of

weeks, a sudden bereavement or separation

can just tip the balance and they need our

support.

How can you help? By gifting to our

food bank with special treats of Chocolate

gifts or seasonal food including Mince Pies (good date stamp please), Long Life Carton

Cream & puddings.

These can be delivered to your local

collection box or in person to the food bank.

Open 11am-12.30pm on Sat, Mon & Weds in

Cheddar, Unit 4, Wessex Business Park, Wedmore Road, Cheddar BS27 3EJ, 01934

742500.

GORDON FLYNN

Bob Pickering writes: I am saddened

to inform you that one of our oldest residents, Gordon Flynn passed away on the

8 November aged 94. Gordon enlisted in

227th Field Company, Royal Engineers (TA)

on 1 May 1939 in Bristol and was one of the

fortunate survivors of Dunkirk. He was

then posted to the Middle East where, he told me, he spent several, mainly happy

years and on 12 July 1944 was awarded The

Africa Star. He was always happy to tell his

service history to those interested.

Following his Wife's death in Bristol he

moved to Axbridge to be near his daughter and joined Axbridge Royal British Legion

where he was a loyal member. He will be

sadly missed.

A FANTASTIC FAIRTRADE FAIR

Penny Cooke writes: A really buzzy

atmosphere greeted everyone at Shipham

Village Hall on 15 November. Visitors were

treated to a cornucopia of Fairtrade goods,

from India, Palestine, South America and

many other countries. Really spoilt for c h o i c e

b e t w e e n

b e a u t i f u l

j ewe l le ry ,

scarves and

s h a w l s ; original and

u n u s u a l

Ch r i s tmas

decorations,

lovely baskets and bags, and not least the

wonderful olivewood nativities. For those looking for a really original Christmas

present there was something for everyone of

all tastes and budgets.

Denise Marsh supervised the excellent

fashion show, with garments from Frugli,

Nomads and other Fairtrade manufacturers,

there were plenty of ‘ah’ moments as the children modelled (sometimes needing a

little nudge) Denise was ably supported by

Sarah Dibb as compere and Jane Camp

organising the models! The clothes were

quickly snapped up.

The beautiful Alpaca throws vanished very quickly, the sumptuous colours and the

softness was undoubtedly a real attraction

and those lucky enough to receive one this

Christmas will be very cosy this winter.

Coffees, teas including homemade

cakes followed by delicious homemade soup

for lunch was much appreciated, not least by the stallholders many of whom had travelled

considerable distances.

Lynda Borscz, (our Fairtrade supplier

for the Axbridge Farmers’ Market) again

produced a fantastic day and a wonderful

way to shop for those special gifts in an ethical manner in such a fun atmosphere, no

parking charges either.

At the time of going to press, the

Traidcraft stall took £1212 which, added to

other stalls, means over £3500 was taken.

Refreshments and the raffle will enable us to send a cheque of £250 to the Cheddar Food

Bank and £300 to the Ebola Appeal. So a

very successful day. Well done Lynda.

Catch this — December 2014/January 2015

26

The Directory for Axbridge, Rowberrow and Shipham

Axb. ACTIVE LIVING Vicky Brice 07884264033 Axb. ARCHEOLOGY & LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Robin Goodfellow 732874

Axb. BELLRINGERS Roy Shallish 732137

Axb. BROWNIES Liz Foster 732935 Axb. CAVING GROUP Alan Gray 01761 52288

Axb. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Pat Filer 733078

Axb. COMMUNITY ALLOTMENT Dave Maclay 733221 Axb. COMMUNITY THEATRE (drama group) John Bailey 733547

Axb. CRICKET CLUB Phil Saunders 732354

Axb. CYCLING CLUB Jennifer Trotman 733306

Axb. FAMILY GROUP (young family support) Anne Beech 732109 Axb. FIRST SCHOOL ACADEMY (C. of E.) Secretary 732391

Axb. FRIENDS OF AXBRIDGE CHURCH Penny Cooke 733304

Axb. FRIENDS OF AXBRIDGE MUSEUM Kate Browne 733208 Axb. GUIDES Bev Davies 732168

Axb. INDEPENDENT WOMEN Patricia Clarke 733658

Axb. LITTLE ANGELS (mother & toddler group) Ann Smith 07843946949 Axb. METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Carole Chaplin 852897

Axb. MUSEUM TRUST Kate Browne 733208

Axb. PAGEANT ASSOCIATION John Kendall 732103 Axb. ROXY CINEMA Juliet Maclay 733221

Axb. ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Brian Winder 01278 785696

Axb. SAXONS JUNIORS (football) Pete Thomson 733218

Axb. SAXONS VETERANS (football) Stuart Butlin 734626 Axb. SEA CADETS Baz Hamblin 733939

Axb. SINGERS (mixed choir) Stella Moore 732282

Axb. SPORTS AND SOCIAL (fundraising) Pauline Ham 732062 Axb. SURGERY Reception 732464

Axb. SUSTAINABLE AXBRIDGE NETWORK David Parkin 733762

Axb. TOWN COUNCIL Town Clerk 07884 264033 Axb. TOWN HALL (booking) Sarah Emery 07748 561114

Axb. VOICES PROJECT (recording oral history) Maggie Tur 732855

Axb. YOUNG ACT (junior drama group) Wendy Mace 734603 Benefice CHOIR Martin Latham 733010

Benefice MOTHERS’ UNION Janet Angle 733695

Rwb. BELLRINGERS Adrian Adams 820058 Rwb. FRIENDS OF ROWBERROW CHURCH Maggi Fiske 842321

Shp. ACTIVE LIVING Gloria Tyson 842360

Shp. AFC (football) Steve Dodd 843660

Shp. AFC VETERANS (football) Ian Shaw 842114 Shp. ART GROUP John Moorhouse 842272

Shp. BABY & TODDLERS Becca Wilson 853646

Shp. BADMINTON Ann Bracegirdle 843233 Shp. BELLRINGERS Lynne Binnie 744480

Shp. BROWNIES Sally Hansford 842879

Shp. CALLIGRAPHY Sue Waterhouse 01278 722793 Shp. COMMUNITY CAR SCHEME Don Hurrell 842717

Shp. COMMUNITY CINEMA Norma Scanlon 842845

Shp. CUBS Dave Peake (Akela) 844612 Shp. FIRST SCHOOL Secretary 843485

Shp. FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE Avril Long 733053

Shp. GARDENING CLUB Jenny Humberstone 843149

Shp. GUIDES Jenny Hill 742480 Shp. K@CH (church for children) Christine Prince 844909

Shp. KEEP FIT Lorraine Beer 842764

Shp. LENNY’S COFFEE SHOP Jill Lewis 782845 Shp. PARISH COUNCIL (clerk) Samantha Peake 844612

Shp. PLAYERS (drama group) Daniel Jeffery 744882

Shp. PRE-SCHOOL Administrator 844511 Shp. SAVE THE CHILDREN LUNCHES Jan Agate 842607

Shp. SCOUTS Paul Bradshaw 844954

Shp. SEW & SEWS Barbara Hillier 843984 Shp. Shipham, Rowberrow & Star History Society Jill Smith 842291

Shp. VILLAGE HALL (booking) B. Moorhouse 07740 991338

Shp. WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Sandra Newton 843464 Shp. YOUTH CLUB Paula Barrow 843577

Local Food Bank (Cheddar Valley): information Sue Albone 07803 054025

27

SERVICES IN JANUARY

Please note: for a trial period, the Sunday Evensong services

at Rowberrow will commence at 4pm instead of 6.30pm

Sunday 4 January: Epiphany

8.00am SHIPHAM (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (K@CH)

4.00pm ROWBERROW (Evensong)

Sunday 11 January: The Baptism of Christ

8.00am AXBRIDGE (Holy Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Parish Communion)

10.30am ROWBERROW (Matins)

6.30pm AXBRIDGE (Informal Eucharist)

Sunday 18 January: Second Sunday of Epiphany

8.00am ROWBERROW (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Together in Worship)

Sunday 25 January: Third Sunday of Epiphany

10.00am SHIPHAM (Parish Communion + Prayers for Healing)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

4.00pm ROWBERROW (Evensong)

Sunday 1 February: Candlemas

8.00am SHIPHAM (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (K@CH)

4.00pm ROWBERROW (Evensong)

Midweek Communions in January

10.30am 7 January Rowberrow

10.00am 14 January Shipham

10.00am 21 January Axbridge

11.00am 28 January Axbridge Court

Evening Prayers of Compline

9.00pm 10 January Axbridge

28

SERVICES IN DECEMBER

Sunday 7 December: Second Sunday of Advent

8.00am SHIPHAM (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (K@CH)

6.30pm ROWBERROW (Evensong)

Sunday 14 December: Third Sunday of Advent

8.00am AXBRIDGE (Holy Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Parish Communion)

10.30am ROWBERROW (Matins)

6.30pm AXBRIDGE (A Eucharist for Advent)

Sunday 21 December: Fourth Sunday of Advent

8.00am ROWBERROW (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Parish Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Together in Worship)

6.30pm AXBRIDGE (Benefice Carol Svce with Bristol Brass)

Wednesday 24 December: CHRISTMAS EVE

4.00pm SHIPHAM (Christingle)

4.00pm AXBRIDGE (Christingle)

6.00pm ROWBERROW (Carols by Candlelight)

11.30pm AXBRIDGE (Midnight Mass—Carols from 11.00pm)

11.30pm SHIPHAM (Midnight Communion)

Thursday 25 December: CHRISTMAS DAY

8.30am ROWBERROW (Holy Communion)

10.00am AXBRIDGE (Family Communion)

10.00am SHIPHAM (Family Communion)

Sunday 28 December: First Sunday of Christmas

10.00am ROWBERROW (United Benefice Communion)

Midweek Communions in December

10.30am 3 December Rowberrow

10.00am 10 December Shipham

10.00am 17 December Axbridge

Evening Prayers of Compline

9.00 p.m. December 13th Axbridge