Newslet1

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH. Romance often begins by a splashing waterfall and ends over a leaky sink!

STOKE SUB HAMDON GARDENING CLUB. The next meeting to take place will be on Saturday, 7^th August and will be a Flower, Produce and Craft Show in the Memorial Hall and Grounds.

CHURCH FLAG. The Union Flag will fly from the Church Tower on Saturday, 21^st August for the Norton and Chiselborough Flower Show.

NORTON AND CHISELBOROUGH FLOWER SHOW. Flower Show weekend is on Saturday, 21^st and Sunday, 22^nd August. Classes of exhibits are open to everyone, not just residents of Norton and Chiselborough, so any keen friends from other places can enter too. Schedules have been distributed to all houses, and there are additional copies in the Village Stores and from Andy Jacobs, Orchardlea, New Road (881935). There is also a list of classes on the Norton website under ‘Flower Show’. Closing time and date for entry forms is between 7.00pm and 8.30pm on Wednesday, 18^th August in the Reading Room, Great Street. Good luck with all your entries for the Show. On Saturday, 21^st August the marquee will be open from 7.00am until 10.45am for you to arrange your entries. Gates will be open to the public at 2.00pm with the marquee re-opening at 2.30pm. If anyone needs a stall for their organisation or private venture, please contact Bob Fill (881323). As can be imagined, this event requires a huge amount of organisation and hands-on work to make it happen. It will be greatly appreciated if any of you can offer your time to help with preparations from the Friday onwards. Please contact either Andy or Bob ASAP if you can help in whatever capacity - many hands make Flower Show work!

Tickets for a splendid three-course Barbecue Lunch (with vegetarian option) in the marquee on Sunday, 22^nd August in advance from Andy or Louisa Jacobs (881935) - Adult £10.00, Child £5.00. Wine by the bottle or glass, and squash will be on sale from 12.00 noon until 2.30pm, then relax while Norton plays Chiselborough in the Cricket Match.

TENT SERVICE. The conclusion to the Norton and Chiselborough Flower and Produce Show will again be the Songs of Praise service in the Big Tent. A variety of hymns and songs, both old and new, have been chosen to round off the weekend. The service will be at 6.30pm on Sunday, 22^nd August.

FLOWER SHOW, SONGS OF PRAISE AND CHEESE AND WINE PARTY. Summer Songs of Praise, as last year, will be followed by a Cheese and Wine party, with the proceeds to go jointly to the Friends of Norton Church and Flower Show funds. Please come along to these events to ‘round off’ what should be another great traditional local weekend.

Two plates were left in the Flower Show marquee last year. Sorry, we ate the cakes after the dance, but the plates have still not been collected. They will be in the tent on the afternoon of the Show if you think they are yours. One is from the Poole Pottery with fruits on and the other has a red rim. Lynn Orchard.

CUDDLY TOY TIME (again!). Thanks to everyone who has donated toys to me already. If there are any more out there looking for a new home, please pass them on to me. I shall be running my stall at the Flower Show as usual. The children (and some adults) love it and the more toys I have the more they can win. The toys don’t have to be new, but must be in good condition. I can always freshen them up. Please ring me on 881718 or pop into the Spar shop, or drop them into 5, New Road. (If I could have them by August 14^th that would be great). Thank you very much. (Proceeds will be shared between Norton Football Club and Norton School).

No Library Van on August 4^th (so no Book Club). August 25^th - Norton Book Club at 1.45pm - Chiselborough ‘Tea Pot’ 3.00pm. See Parish News for books under discussion, or ring Anne on 881202.

ROTARY CLUB ‘LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS’ - Friday, 3rd September - 7.30pm at the Octagon Theatre. Tickets £24.50. In aid of Yeovil Young Achievers’ Trust - Phone 426181 or Octagon 422884 for details.

HISTORY SOCIETY PROGRAMME. 31^st July - Cancellation of the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Navy Day Trip. The Norton sub Hamdon History Society regrets the trip to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Navy Day (31^st July) is cancelled. Unfortunately, there was not enough support to make this a viable event. Payments received will be returned as soon as possible. We are sorry to disappoint those of you who were looking forward to the trip.

15^th September - Somerset Cider Industry. Mr. James Crowden, author of many books on apples and cider, a poet and well travelled gentleman, will be giving a talk on the history of the cider industry (in the Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm).

IMPORTANT NOTICE. 29^th September, Arundells House, Salisbury. (This trip is reserved in the first instance for members of the History Society. Non members may place their names on a waiting list for spare seats to be allocated after the members have booked theirs). The Trustees of Arundells House have announced the house will be closed to the public after September 2010. This will be the last time we will be able to see the paintings, furniture, photographs and documents collected by Sir Edward Heath. There are seats still available in the mini bus, and if need arises arrangements have been made for a second vehicle. Just to remind you, the mini bus starts at 9.30am from the Telephone box, Great Street. Cost £15.00 (includes entry). Cheques payable to Norton sub Hamdon History Society. Please send to Muriel Parkinson, Apple Barn, Great Street, Norton sub Hamdon, TA14 6SG.

17^th November - AGM and Talk on the Domesday Book. Most people think AGMs are boring events. May I say the History Society’s business sessions are kept really short and the talk arranged for the rest of the evening, this year, will be extremely interesting. David Palliser, of Norton sub Hamdon, and Duncan Chalmers, of Ilminster, are combining their talents to give an insight into the reason, sources and contents of the Domesday Book. As you will see from the new village display boards, the paragraph on the Domesday Book mentions that Norton sub Hamdon had 5 slaves!

Membership of the History Society - Individuals £5.00. Couples £7.00. Muriel Parkinson 01935 881879

‘CALLING ALL JOHNNY CASH FANS’ EVENING. We are holding a special entertainment on Saturday, September 4^th at the Millennium Hall, Seavington St. Mary, Nr. Ilminster. This is to raise money for the Children’s Hospice South West. The ‘Ring of Fire’ band will be playing tribute to the career of the great Johnny Cash. (You can dance or sit and enjoy the music). Admission by ticket only. No bar - B.Y.O. Tickets £9.00 each, to include supper, from Carol 01935 881510 or Del 01935 881627. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss out. We look forward to hearing from you. Carol and Del

ANONYMOUS GIFT. Very many thanks to the person who made the anonymous gift of £25.00 to the Newsletter Funds. The Newsletter relies heavily on donations, so this is very much appreciated.

NORTON ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB. If you haven’t had enough of football with the World Cup, just to let you know we have started training for next season. Sessions at present are every Monday night from 7.00pm at Norton Rec. Anyone can turn up, whether you want to play or not, but if you are interested in playing for Norton Athletic Club next season, all the better! See you there. More information - phone manager Trevor Harris - 881718 or mobile: 07707528470.

GARAGE SALE. On Sunday, 8^th August from 10.00am to 1.00pm at Brook House, Little Street, a garage sale of furniture, books, lamps, china, glass, kitchen ware and cutlery. (Ex holiday cottages and house.)

“Little Street - Removal Van obstructions. Removal vans will be parked outside Brook House, Little Street over the period Monday, 16^th through Thursday, 19^th August. They will constrict traffic movement for which I can but apologise. J.H.F”

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS. Congratulations to Georgie Greenham at ‘Kathbar’, Shiremoor Hill, Merriott, who celebrates her 80^th Birthday on the 2^nd August 2010. Love from sisters Joyce, Mauvin, Ardis and all the family. “Happy birthday, Mum, on 2^nd August, 2010. Love from Kathryn and Barry, Mandy, all the grandchildren and family”.

GIRLS ALLOWED. This term has once again seen Friday evenings at the Reading Room turned into an Aladdin’s cave of clay, glitter, sequins and paint, not to mention hot chocolate and biscuits. A HUGE thank you must again go to Jeanettte, Lynn, Terrina, Amy, Lisa and Ian for giving up their valuable time to provide such a successful club for the girls in the village. The girls have enjoyed every minute. Have a lovely holiday and we look forward to a busy and creative term starting in September. From All the Girls and their grateful parents.

QUARTER PEEL OF BELLS. By the time you read this we hope to have succeeded in ringing a quarter peel to mark our Tower Captain’s 50^th year of bellringing! Ray Gage started ringing when he was 13 and is Captain of both Norton and West Chinnock towers. The Quarter peel will have involved two Norton ringers with four guests to help out and will probably have been an attempt at Bob Doubles. Hopefully it will have been rung on Ray’s birthday, 20^th July. Congratulations, Ray, and thank you from all members of the ringing teams of both churches.

NORTON CHURCH COFFEE MORNINGS. As summer approaches, and before we all head off on holiday, a big Thank You is due to the kind souls who volunteered to host the eight coffee mornings held over the last year - Annie and Bob Taylor, Diana and David Robbins, Judy and Rodney Goodwin, Sarah and Kevin Mountain, Penny Cudmore, Claire and Ian Luck and Rowena Alsey. We have raised over £1,400 towards the upkeep of St. Mary’s church and have also helped raise funds for Fair Trade through Anne Thomas. Hosting a coffee morning does not entail a great deal of work, nor does it require huge amounts of space. If you think that you would like to host one of the 2010/2011 coffee mornings, please give me, Shelagh Wickstead, a call on 881385 in order to choose your slot (or just look to find out more about it)! I look forward to hearing from you. Meanwhile, enjoy the summer.

ADVANCE NOTICE! The 2010/2011 Coffee Morning ‘season’ kicks off in September at the Herb Garden (details later). It is worth mentioning now that it will be on Tuesday, 28^th, as there is a History Society outing on Wednesday, 29^th.

FRIENDS OF NORTON CHURCH - WINE CLUB. The July draws took place at The Lord Nelson on the 16^th. The first draw for the members had 6 prizes of 12 bottles of excellent wine with the 1^st prize of 4 bottles won by Geoff Byham, and further prizes of 3 bottles to Dawn Rendall, 2 bottles to John Ashton and 1 bottle to each of Roger Hardisty, Roger Webb and David Robins. In the 2^nd draw for the ‘on the nighters’ in the pub Eddie Simpson, Stuart Maunder and Tamsin Cooke each received a bottle. Wine Club Shares are still available at £1. per month. Call 881096 for a form.

CHURCH CARPET. You may notice that the carpet in the main body of the church has been removed. The advice of the architect was that the underlay should be taken up because it was preventing ‘breathing’. It was also realised that the main carpet wasn’t looking good and would probably not be much improved by cleaning. The PCC have talked for a while about re-carpeting but it is potentially very expensive. For the moment the floor will be left uncovered as we consider what to do next. Peter Thomas

QUIET GARDEN. Following the Craft Morning at the Rectory in June, and the quiet morning at Carpenters in July, there will be further quiet mornings, opportunities to pause and reflect in a beautiful setting. On August 18^th, at the home of Sam and Ann Lewis (Hopes, Little Street), and on September 8^th at the home of Margaret Cox (St. David’s, Little Norton); both will be from 10.00am - 12.00 noon. Drinks and topics for reflection will be provided and you are invited to bring sandwiches to stay for lunch together. (Details from Peter Thomas).

SCHOOL SERVICE. To mark the beginning of the school year, there will be a special Family Service in West Chinnock School on September 5^th at 11.15am. Pupils, parents, staff, governors and other friends from both the benefice schools will be very welcome.

HONEY POT will be closed on August 7^th and 21^st, but open 10.00am - 12.00 noon on August 14^th and 28^th.

STORY HUT. Story readings for children and their grown-ups: in the African Hut at the Rectory at 3.00pm on August 16^th, 17^th, 23^rd and 24^th. (Ring Anne 881202 for more details).

SCHOOL NEWS. We are finishing this academic year on a really successful note. The recent OFSTED inspection judged the school ‘Good’ with many ‘Outstanding’ areas including the Foundation Stage (Reception) and the care and behaviour of the children. This was followed up very quickly by the Church School Inspectors who found the school to be ‘Outstanding’ as a Church school.

The children have been very busy this term, having won the Inter-School Maths challenge, taken part in 18 different sporting events, and found time to showcase their talents at the very successful ‘Norton’s Got Talent’ evening. There have been visits from Forest School Leaders, a trip to Lulworth Cove, Year 5/6 camp to Hayling Island and much more! No wonder the children and staff need a long summer holiday. As a governor I would like to thank everyone involved in making the school so successful; it really gives the children a great grounding before moving on to even ‘bigger’ school.

It is also with sadness that we say goodbye to our Chair of Governors, Sue More, who has worked incredibly hard to help the school be so successful. We all wish her the best in her retirement (only from being a governor, however!)

BOTTLED WATER IN YOUR CAR CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS! An e-mail is circulating which says that women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. The heat reacts with the chemicals in the plastic of the bottle which releases dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue. Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle instead of plastic! Also, be wary of plastic containers in microwaves and water bottles in the freezer. This especially applies to food that contains fat. Such things as TV dinners, instant soups, etc. should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

BON VOYAGE. Honey Pot wishes Aimee Parsons bon voyage to Uganda and hopes she can spend their gift of £50.00 to benefit the children there. “Come back and tell us all about it, Aimee!”

NORTON LADIES GROUP July’s meeting was a garden party held at Mauvyn’s. Unfortunately the rain kept us from her lovely garden but the company and the food were great and a good time was had by all. There is no meeting in August, so we look forward to seeing you on Sept 21^st when Ann Sweeney will be our speaker

CONSIDERATION TO OUR NEIGHBOURS. I attended the last meeting of our Parish Council. It’s sad to report there were only two other members of the public at the meeting. I was asked if I would write in my capacity as Chairman of the Newsletter Committee about three subjects that were raised and regarded as not actually Parish Council ‘matters’. They are simply matters of consideration to others in our delightful village.

Ball Games in Barn Orchard. Some residents are driven to despair by the constant kicking of footballs against their houses. If doors were not on kitchen cupboards, crockery would be dislodged; that gives readers an idea of the power with which balls are hitting the outer walls. It was mentioned that it is totally inconsiderate of parents to allow their children to use neighbours’ houses as goals when within a matter of yards there is a huge playing field and an £80,000 MUGA. Parents of children living in Barn Orchard - please ask your children to be more considerate to your neighbours.

Bonfires. Once again the question of bonfires was raised. Prior to lighting your bonfire, please be considerate to your neighbours, check the wind conditions and consider if the time is right before you light your fire, especially during these glorious summer evenings.

Neighbourhood Watch - Windows broken by Water Bombs. There have been several incidents of windows broken in the village caused by water bombs thrown at them. Some of them were old leaded lights which are expensive to repair. If you see anything suspiciously similar, please call the Police on 999.

THEFT OF SOLAR PANELS FROM SHEPHERD’S HUT, BROADMEAD LANE. Between Tuesday, 29^th June and Friday, 2^nd July, solar panels were removed from the end wall of a shepherd’s hut located in a field at the bottom of Broadmead Lane. Could I please ask if anyone has any information regarding this to notify the police on 0845 567000 and also to be extra vigilant and to be aware of any suspicious vehicles entering Broadmead Lane.

NORTON SUB HAMDON PARISH COUNCIL. Planning. There have been no planning applications to consider this month.

Boundary Stones. The boundary stones have been reinforced and are now secure. With regard to replacing the eighth stone, the sculptor, Richard Langford, has very kindly offered to carve a new stone free of charge. The Parish Council is very grateful for his kind offer and a new stone will be in place in due course.

Higher Street. There have been complaints from residents and walkers that in some places along Higher Street you are unable to walk on the pavement. This is due to hedging, shrubs, and lavenders growing over walls and taking up valuable space on an already narrow walkway. We would appreciate residents’ cooperation in cutting back any offending greenery. Thank you.

Helicopters. Some parishioners have raised concerns about the recent helicopter activity over the village. I have spoken to the Commander at Yeovilton who would like to reassure the village that there has been no change to the operating patterns or procedures. These helicopters are engaged in a tactical training sortie which requires the aircraft to fly at low level at night, using night vision equipment and to land in relatively remote sites. One of these sites which they have used for many years, is on the edge of Chiselborough and this site was used recently which may be the reason for recent concern. However, this site is one of many and is used on a rotational system throughout Somerset and Dorset.

Chris Cook. Mr. Cook came to the meeting and talked about an idea he has for a Hydro Electric Power scheme and how it would benefit the village. Much research now has to be done, but the Parish Council thought this was a very exciting idea.

There is no Parish Council meeting in August. The next Parish Council meeting will be on Monday, 13^th September and all members of the public are very welcome.

ITEMS FOR THE NEWSLETTER should be in the box on the Spar Shop P.O. counter, or sent by e-mail to: nortonnews@hotmail.com by 4.00pm on the 19^th of each month.

DIARY OF NORTON VILLAGE EVENTS.

2^nd Monday in the month except August - Parish Council Meeting - Reading Room

Saturday, 21^st August - Norton and Chiselborough Flower Show

Sunday, 22^nd August - Marquee Lunch, Cricket Match, Songs of Praise, Wine and Cheese

Wednesday, 25^th August - Norton Book Club - The Lord Nelson - 1.45pm

Wednesday, 15^th September - Local History Talk - Somerset Cider - Village Hall - 7.30pm

Saturday, 18^th September - Village Feast

Tuesday, 28^th September - Church Coffee morning in the Herb Garden

Wednesday, 29^th September - Local History Society Trip to Salisbury

Saturday, 23rd October - Bounds Walk

Wednesday, 17^th November - Local History Society AGM

Newcomers to our village. If you know of anyone who has moved in to Norton, please ring one of the editors on the phone numbers below with their details so that we can welcome them to our village.

The Newsletter is produced monthly by the Newsletter Committee and is distributed free to every house in the village by volunteers who give their services free of charge.

The Editor is Mrs. Janet Hutton (881566) and Assistant Editor, Mrs.Diana Robins (881668) Email: nortonnews@hotmail.com

NB. All emails are replied to as soon as possible - please check if no acknowledgment is received by the deadline date