Autumn is well and truly upon us; a summer of high temperatures and little rainfall fades into memory. It was a mixed season on the field for the cricket club with the 1 XI finding life hard going in the West of England Premier League but more success for the 2 XI who won 9 of the 16 games they played and finished 5 in their Division. Tom Barr scored the most league runs with 417 for the season while Joe Mason took 19 wickets. The Women’s team also had st nd th AUTUMN I S SUE | OCTOBER 2 0 2 5 6 Shapwick and Polden Cricket Club Music on the Pitch on 13 September saw performances from several local bands in a smart new marquee as well as a wide range of opportunities for food and drink. Forthcoming events include the Club Dinner and Presentation evening on 18 October when we recognize individual and collective achievements over the course of the season. This month also sees work start to replace our practice nets in the north-east corner of the ground with a brand new facility that will provide a first class facility for all players to develop their skills next season. ALISTAIR BARR Players for the annual Martin Baker memorial game on 6 September th another great year, winning their league for the second year running and reaching the semi-final of their T20 knock-out cup. The final game of the season was the annual Martin Baker memorial, which saw many past players return to celebrate stalwarts of the club who have passed on, and resulted in the usual close fought match with team Gold captained by James Hayman winning from the last ball. Smart new marquee courtesy of Wild Hare Events The scorebox becomes the cocktail bar For anyone interested in joining the club for next year the contacts are: Junior Cricket: Judith Wanliss ( judithwanliss@hotmail.co.uk and 07904 435437). Ladies cricket: Emily Bartram on 07894 854547, emilyspencer987@hotmail.co.uk). Mens Cricket: Club Captain Josh Luckins on 07496 678909. Shapwick meets Sultanahmet! This summer, Shapwick resident and Millfield student Valerio Thompson competed in the 2025 Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul, Turkey. This unique 6.5 km race takes swimmers down the famous Bosphorus Strait, crossing from Asia to Europe. Valerio delivered a strong performance, finishing 11th overall among thousands of swimmers from around the world. In his age group (Men 14–18) he placed an impressive sixth, completing the crossing in 59 minutes and 52 seconds! Shapwick Weather STUART DENNES Rainfall for the 12 months to August was 737mm, compared to the long term average of 800mm. This, of course, doesn’t tell the whole story; the autumn and winter were very wet but February onward was unprecedentedly dry, with only 208mm (ca. 8 inches) in six months. And, more problematically for farmers and gardeners, there were only six days in the growing period when there was significant rainfall. I recorded the last frost on 6 April, and 30 over the whole winter, much more than usual. The 23/24 winter had 13 frosts and the latest was 6 March. Our highest temperature was 35.9 degrees C on 12th August, so not hitting the record levels of 2022. Anyone of a decent age in the UK will be fully experienced in variable weather, and not be unduly surprised at 2025. However, the swings in both rainfall quantity and timing are undoubtedly more pronounced. Just an update from a great summer of music and your generous support, on probably one of the only rainy weekends all summer! So far we can confirm contributions to the Village Hall for its new roof, the Shapwick Allotment Association water harvest project, games sets for the new Village Green and a donation to the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance towards its 2nd helicopter. The Jam Team are very thankful for all who helped this year and we look forward to our 5th Anniversary and a bigger village event next year. Save the date, Saturday 6th June 2026. Simon Dawes Shapwick Jam update
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