HAPPY NEW YEAR SHAPWICK! The play area - first phase! - is open and we hope that villagers young and not so young enjoyed playing there over the Christmas and New Year break. Once again thank you to all of the organisations and individuals who have made this possible with your generous financial contributions and time given to work parties and other tasks. We will hold a suitable “Official Opening Event” later in the year when all of the remaining tasks have been completed and the fences removed. Our second major project since acquiring the Village Green in 2023 has also made great progress: the allotments are well-established and the Allotment Association has celebrated its first, successful year (more on p. 7). Play area open! Parish Council Village Hall news Is Jesus still relevant? Dora's Poetry Corner History Group Cricket Club Litterpick Sustainability For the Hedgehogs! The Horse’s Mouth Dovecote School Shapwick Weather Bunny Hop/Runners Hedgehog Quiz Shapwick Starlets WI Allotment Association Ashcott Football Club Jam Team News! What's On WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 In this issue: W I N T E R I S S U E , J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y T H E S H A P W I C K C O M M U N I T Y G R O U P 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 Swing, swing, sweet Shapwick! GRAHAM CROUCHER, CHAIR, SHAPWICK PARISH COUNCIL And a big thankyou from Shapwick News on behalf of the village to Graham Croucher, our everenthusiastic and energetic Parish Council Chair, whose determination and drive have been crucial to what we have been able to achieve this year. Meanwhile, the Village Hall, and organisations such as the Starlets WI that use the Hall, have been able to make full use of its much-improved facilities (see pages 2 and 7). And as the nights get shorter and the days longer, there are events such as Chilli Jam and the Bunny Hop to look forward to (see posters on pages 6 and 8). And Dora’s poem on p. 3 is all about looking to the future. Let’s swing into spring! o On 15 December a crowd of some 40, including lots of children and grandchildren, watched Santa arrive in Shapwick for his annual visit. Thankyou, Tracey Lockyer, and the King William C.C., for organising this again!
All Agendas and Minutes at: https://www.shapwickvillage.co.uk/council-matters We are very pleased to have achieved two of our major objectives this year, the Allotments and Play area: Play area: if you have any feedback and suggestions for future development or fund raising ideas, please use the Enquiry form on the Contact page of the Shapwick Village website or email clerk@shapwickparishcouncil.org.uk Our third objective was to develop the wildlife potential of the Village Green. To this end we have now adopted the Shapwick Sustainability Group’s plan for the development of the wildlife area and initial funds were allocated at the last Parish Council Meeting. If you are interested in helping develop the wildlife potential of our Village Green please visit the Sustainability page on the Shapwick Village website (see also p. 4 below). Village Precept: your Parish Council is responsible for setting part of your annual council tax: known as the Parish Precept, this represents approximately 2% of the total. We will be discussing and setting next year’s Precept at the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 28th January. Everyone is welcome. Highways: With the pressure on Somerset Council’s budget we anticipate that some highways services will be reduced. With this in mind we will be exploring an opportunity for the Parish to fund additional highways services, e.g. additional gully cleaning. For more information about this Enhanced Highways Maintenance programme please see the presentations on the Shapwick Village website under Council Matters / Legal Documents & Policies. Shapwick Community Group SHARE YOUR IDEAS & WISHES: Now that the Play area is open what would you like to see next in Shapwick? All suggestions welcome! To share your thoughts, in confidence, just go to the Shapwick Village website, choose the Our Village menu option and enter your ideas on the ‘Ideas and Wishes’ page. Parish Councillors: Finally thank you to our team of Councillors! We are so lucky to have a group of hard working people who represent all sections of the village and devote their time freely and enthusiastically to the role. We currently have a vacancy for one councillor so why not start the New Year by volunteering to join your Parish Council - no experience required - and help shape the future of our amazing community. Just call/text Graham on 07484160193 or email clerk@shapwickparishcouncil.org.uk. 2 WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 Shapwick Parish Council and Community Group GRAHAM CROUCHER CHAIR OF SHAPWICK PC Remember the draft layout produced for the Village consultation in Autumn 2023? Anything we should change? (Image courtesy of John Anderson) Finding it hard because the photos a bFlack and white? Find a flourition of Shapwick News at: https://www.shapwickparishcounci l.org.uk/parish-newsletters/ Village Hall NERINA SCOTT, BRIDGET DAWES Thank you to all those who supported the annual Harvest Supper in October. A traditional 2-course supper was enjoyed by all, followed by the usual auction of produce. A Hoe-Down afterwards provided great fun and finished the evening off with a swing! And don’t forget Chilli Jam on 25 January! See p. 8! The refurbished Village Hall, with its improved and extended facilities, is already proving its worth. QUIZ n’ CHIPS: Fun and friendly banter was had by all who took part in the Village Hall’s annual Quiz in November, and fish & chips was enjoyed too. Thank you to all those who supported the event and thanks also to Amalia for assisting in the evening. In December we held a successful Pub and Open Mic night, and our second New Year’s Eve Party, and in February 2025 we plan a Breakfast morning: watch the notice boards for the date!
DORA WATKINS New Beginnings New beginnings! Wipe the slate clean Forget the past, it has never been Look to the future, set your sights The world’s your oyster: take a bite Brand new direction, brand new rules No negative vibes: that’s just for fools You’re positive, your brand new life Will leave behind all care and strife Don’t look back! It’s dead and gone The future’s where your dreams belong Time now to show what you can do To show the world a brand new you Barry's talk will give an outline of the current Cathedral's history up to the Reformation, focusing on the building and its architecture and how this reflects the performance of the medieval liturgy. The perspective will be that of a guide at the Cathedral - giving a brief overview of training and duties and what this has given in terms of a deeper insight into a truly wonderful building. Thursday 27 February, 6.30 for 7pm, Village Hall All welcome, entrance free, small donation appreciated Dora's Poetry Corner Every blessing, Rich Tweedy vicar@poldenwheel.co.uk Does Jesus have any relevance today? 3 WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 RICH TWEEDY The carols have been sung, the turkey has been eaten, the tree and the decorations have been put away for another year. Is that all there is to it? Christians talk about Christmas being about Jesus, the son of God: but does that have any relevance to our world today? We live in an increasingly troubled world: there are wars and rumours of wars, and difficult ethical questions, some of which weren’t envisaged when Jesus was alive. So: Why bother with the Christian faith? That’s the title of a talk being given by Rico Tice at a special event in Ashcott church on the evening of Thursday 9th January. If the question intrigues you, why not come Shapwick and Polden Cricket Club ALISTAIR BARR The Cricket Club AGM on the 27th November saw the retirement of Jon Ball as Chairman after 8 busy and fruitful years. The club owes a huge debt to Jon for his tireless work on its behalf. Nick Talbot takes over as the new Chair and we wish him a productive and enjoyable time at the helm. Josh Luckins will again be Club and 1st XI captain, Tom Barr takes over leadership of the 2nd XI and Ollie Stone will skipper the 3rd team. The club runs junior cricket from All Stars (5-8 year olds) and Dynamos (8-11 year olds) and competitive teams from U10s up to U 19s including boys, girls and mixed teams. If you have kids who would be interested in starting to play cricket or if you yourself would like to help with coaching junior players please contact Judith Wanliss (judithwanliss@hotmail.co.uk). Ladies cricket is flourishing at Shapwick from its relatively recent start just 2 years ago. The Ladies at present play pairs softball cricket and last year finished top of their league in the Somerset Gibson Division. If you would like to give Ladies cricket a try then we would love to hear from you – contact team captain Emily (emilyspencer987@hotmail.co.uk). The club continues to try to broaden the appeal of along and hear Rico speak? Details here and on the website at https://www.poldenwheel.co.uk/events/why-bother/. cricket across the Polden community. We run teams across a range of abilities and there are opportunities for anyone interested in continuing (or reviving!) their cricketing career or volunteering to help with the wide range of essential supporting roles. If you are interested in playing or helping - anything from scoring to ground maintenance - please contact Nick Talbot (07976 809590). In the meantime we look forward to warmer sunnier days to come! Shapwick History Group JOHN ANDERSON Coming up! Wells Cathedral - through the eyes of a cathedral guide - with Dr Barry Wratten Hedgehog Quiz answers= 1: c | 2: b | 3: a | 4: c
Village Litter Pick - Lorraine Davies A big thank you to the villagers who joined the village litter pick on 17 November 2024. After a health and safety briefing they set off around the village and surrounding roads to collect up the rubbish. Whilst the roads within the village were largely litter free, we still filled lots of sacks, particularly with cans, bottles and fast food rubbish from the main approach roads into the village. Wendy Anderson, who kindly donated her time and culinary skills, had sausage baps (sausages kindly donated by Paul Rogers) and refreshments ready for their return. It was great to see so many people getting involved in this very worthwhile project for the village. It was also lovely that villagers were able to stay a while after to catchup over refreshments. Thank you again to all who participated in the clean up. Sustaining our Village SUSTAINABILITY GROUP 4 WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 For the Hedgehogs of Shapwick Finding it hard because the photos a bFlack and white? Find a flourition of Shapwick News at: https://www.shapwickparishcounci l.org.uk/parish-newsletters/ CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS Who doesn’t like hedgehogs? I mean, they are cute and prickly at the same time! Its a shame that I rarely see any. According to the British Trust, back in the 1950s, there were about 30 MILLION hedgehogs in the UK! But sadly, in the 1990s, the hedgehogs declined to only 1.5 million. The most recent survey in 2018 shows that there are now only about 879,000 hedgehogs left in the UK. How depressing is that? So, like the eco-friendly person I am, I visited a hedgehog workshop at the Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre recently. They created a fun quiz on hedgehog facts where I learnt a bunch of new things, and showed us how to build a hedgehog house for our gardens! If you want to help our Shapwick hedgehogs, here are some things you could do. #2. Know what to feed them! They need a food source, so having an insect hotel or a place where insects or slugs can make their homes in little cracks helps the hedgehog find a meal easily. But, surprisingly, hedgehogs also like to eat cat or dog food, and baby hedgehogs drink baby dog milk! Just remember that they might not like the smell of fish and can’t drink ordinary cow milk because they are lactose intolerant, so make sure to check that the food you are choosing is meat-based and dairy free. #6. If you see a hedgehog, alive or (sadly) dead, report it to bighedgehogmap.org, where you can map where you spot a neighbourhood friend! And if you find an injured or sick hedgehog, take it to the Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre for it to be cared for and sent back into the wild when it is healthy again. So let’s look after our hedgehogs together. Hopefully, in the future, our hedgehog population will be almost as high and maybe higher than in the 1950s! #1. Have a sheltered place for them to rest! Our neighbourhood hedgehogs need a place to nap, right? So if you have a log pile or some other sheltered place, they can sleep there for the night. (Its even better if you have a hedgehog house made specifically for them!) - see above #3. !WARNING! If you are going to burn garden waste, try not to pre-build your bonfire the night before, you never know who is going to move into it for a long rest. We don’t want to set fire to our little friends! #4. Lawnmowers can wake them up! Be careful when you are mowing your grass because loud noises can wake up a sleepy hedgehog and frighten it half to death! The hedgehog might run straight into the path of your whipper snipper… Sustainability group - Steve Polden Our application for the thermal imaging camera from Somerset Council was approved, and we are waiting for it to be available to us. If you are interested in a ‘thermal survey’of your property, please drop an email to sustainable@shapwick.org and you will be added to the list. As part of the development of the village green, the Parish Council have approved a small grant to buy and plant some ‘wild flowers’. We have also applied for a grant from the Polden Environmental Network; we propose to use this for some trees and/or additional flower planting. The property market is a bit slow at the moment, and it appears that the hedgehog box we installed is still vacant (of a hedgehog, plenty of smaller invertebrate residents), but we hope that someone will find it desirable at some point. #5. Making sure hedgehogs can travel! To make a hedgehogs life a lot easier, try cutting a 13cm hole in your fence to create a path going through your garden so that our buddies don’t have to climb our fences or cross many roads. Ask your neighbour if they will do the same on their fence to create a little hedgehog-highway! Ponds are also a problem for hedgehogs. They might fall in and struggle to get out! Try adding a small ramp out of your pond so that they can swim over and crawl out with ease.
The regulations apply to hedgerows on agricultural land, which are important resources for wildlife such as Linnet, Yellowhammer, Cirl Bunting, and Hazel Dormice. The aim is to encourage a range of heights and widths of hedges and so support a range of habitats and the supply of pollen, berries and other food for wildlife. DAISY JOHN Farmers can choose whether to opt in or out of the scheme, but if they opt in, to get the DEFRA funding they need to adhere to quite detailed procedures: Cut in increments, increasing the height and width of each cut by at least 10 cm Cut once every two years, or even one year in three Leave trimming until late winter to allow birds to feed on berries over the winter Not cut all their hedgerows in the same year So you may see some changes in what happens to Shapwick’s hedges over the next few years! At the time of writing, 17 December, Shapwick has been blessed with 1032mm of rain this year. As mentioned previously, the long-term average annual rainfall for central Somerset is 800mm, and for the second consecutive year we are way above average. On the allotments we couldn't make any headway until April because the land was so wet, and over the next six months we endured 456mm of rain, compared to an expected summer average of 312mm. The insects and slugs seemed to be happier with the weather than the gardeners. On 8 January I recorded a minimum temperature of -2.8 degrees Celsius, and on 31 July a maximum temperature of 33.1 degrees. Our first frost of this winter occurred on the night of 19/20 November. Hedgerows and DEFRA payments Hedges matter. Everyone notices a tidy hedge or a straggly hedge, and the many issues around protecting farm animals and crops, respecting nature and wildlife, or even just “the look of the thing”, can divide opinion. So you may like to know that the criteria for payments to farmers from DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to support hedge management will change from 1 January 2025. As part of the drive for sustainable farming, the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 call for: 5 WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 From the Horse’s Mouth TRACEY LOCKYER Dovecote School Our Open Evening for prospective parents in September was an opportunity to showcase the unique environment and talents of our students and staff. As part of our commitment to creating a supportive and informed community, we held several theme days focusing on key issues such as anti-bullying, anxiety awareness, recycling, and World Diabetes Day. These days provided students with valuable opportunities to learn, reflect, and engage with important topics. A 2-meter buffer strip from the centre of a hedgerow that must be kept free of cultivation, pesticides, and fertilizers A ban on hedgerow cutting from March 1 to August 31, with some exceptions Exemptions apply to hedgerows that are cut for safety reasons, to maintain access rights, or are newly planted As the festive season approached, the school was abuzz with excitement as students prepared for their performance of The Snow Ball. It was a magical production! Our Christmas fair, organised in partnership with the Dovecote Family Support Committee, was another highlight. The event was a fantastic success, raising valuable funds to support our students and bringing the community together in festive spirit. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making it so special and for the Shapwick residents to coming to support us! This term has truly been a time of reflection, learning, joy, and community spirit at Dovecote School. We look forward to sharing more exciting updates soon. In November, Dovecote School commemorated Remembrance Day with the entire school community joining together for a moving two-minute silence and Milo reading out 'In Flanders Fields' by John McRae to staff and students, reflecting on the sacrifices of those who served. Our students also created artwork to honour the day, showcasing our gate with their creativity and understanding of this important occasion. Shapwick Weather STUART DENNES
Training and social running. Most Sunday mornings at 9am, a few runners from Shapwick and surrounds meet at the corner by the cricket pavilion for a gentle social jog round the lanes (usually 4.5 miles) – all welcome to join. Street Striders meet at the Victoria Club car park in Street on Monday (6.30 and 7.30pm) and Thursday (7pm), plus often arrange other training sessions and social runs. Both Street Striders and Shapwick Runners would be delighted to support any new runners wanting to build up to the distance in time for the race. WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 6 Shapwick Runners - Bunny Hop 2025 TERESA KING As the evenings draw out again, why not start training for the 16th Annual Shapwick Bunny Hop on 21 April (Easter Monday). This year, our partners Street Striders take the lead in organising the event, so you might see more of us Shapwick Runners out on the course! The route is a 7.5 mile multi-terrain loop through footpaths, fields, lanes and Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve, starting in Vicarage Lane and finishing on the Village Green. The race attracts runners of all abilities – and those wearing bunny ears are always welcome! There is also a 4 mile walk option which follows some of the race route, for those that prefer a more gentle, non-competitive means of being part of the event. Race entries will be online only via fullonsport.com, and will open in early February. Make sure to enter promptly to guarantee a place – they sell quickly! If you’d like to be a marshal, please contact this year’s marshal organiser Tim (07784 791506). All previous marshals/helpers: Tim will reach out to you shortly to see if you are happy to support again. We hope so! Proceeds go to charity – last year we donated £500 to the Village Hall kitchen redevelopment and £500 to Happy Landings Animal Rescue. We also contributed towards Street Striders’ new clubhouse. For more information about the race, please call Jim Williams on 07901 712601 or look out for details in the new year on shapwickvillage.co.uk and streetstriders.co.uk. The fantastic poster for Bunny Hop '25 was created by Archie Jones at Strode College, who took up the challenge as part of a live brief for incoming art and design students earlier in the year. Some of the students had little design experience, but you wouldn't have known that from the work presented. The collaboration was great fun, and hopefully will be repeated next time! Many thanks to Dave Merritt at Strode for making it happen. Dave Merritt with some of the student Bunny Hop poster projects Hedgehog Quiz! CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS 1.Howmany spines do hedgehogs have? (estimated) a) 100-500 b) 10,000-12,000 c) 5000-7000 2.What do hedgehogs like to eat? a) grass and hay b) insects and slugs c) fish and mice 3. Can they regrow their spines? a) yes b) no c) unsure 4. What are baby hedgehogs called? a) pups b) kittens c) hoglets d) piglets Answers on p.3!
So that's a wrap for our first growing year (or so it seems!). The spring rain challenged us, the summer sun then delivered more cabbage white butterflies and caterpillars than I have ever seen before and the recent autumn storms have conspired to blow the remaining nets and poles across the village! However, we have survived, the plots are well established and some even delivering a great first harvest this year. Well done to everyone! Preparations are well underway to complete the entrance and our signage is now in place. More work on restoring the hedges has started with more saplings planted to join the few now growing well after our spring efforts. The large compost areas are built and even winter planting started, so much to be proud of. Thankyou to the PC, our neighbours and the wider village support this year, it's been much appreciated. We look forward to sharing round 2 with you next summer. New Year best wishes from us all! Shapwick Starlets WI 3 WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 SUE SELLICK We spent all year making poppies for our Remembrance display in St Mary’s Church, Shapwick and our thanks go out to everyone who helped with this. And how exciting to be on BBC Radio Somerset and Points West evening news! Our November meeting consisted of us all being very ‘crafty’, and coming home with table Christmas trees, crackers, cards, reindeer decorations and mini bobble hats to hang on the tree. Some of these were on sale at our Christmas Fayre: thanks to everyone who supported this! Shapwick Allotment Association SIMON DAWES As our WI will be 100 years old, we having started thinking about how we are going to celebrate – so watch this space. We meet the second Tuesday of each month in the village hall (see p. 8), and you can follow our Facebook page: Shapwick Starlets WI. Our outing to the Frost Fayre didn’t turn out quite as planned: the bus we were planning to come home on was diverted as the route through Glastonbury was blocked with parked cars. However, not being put off by this, we had a lovely day out in Wells for the WI Carol service at Wells Cathedral. Our Christmas party is always a highlight; the entertainment this year was a potted panto performed by the Committee, Cinderella in 5 minutes: fortunately there is no photographic evidence! And talking of Pantos, we went to see Aladdin at the McMillan Theatre – oh no you didn’t – oh yes we did! Absolutely excellent, a highlight being Widow Twanky firing toilet rolls into the crowd. Not at all related to the story but hilarious all the same. December 2024: Celebrating the SAA’s first year! The online version of Shapwick News in full colour at: https://www.shapwickvillage.co.uk/newsletters/
What's On in Shapwick, January to March 2025 Pilates: Tuesdays 9.20-10.20am or 10.30-11.30am; Wednesdays 7-8pm. Contact: juliehotchkiss98@yahoo.co.uk. Every Sunday: Shapwick Runners' Sunday Run! Meet at the cricket field, set off at 9am. All abilities welcome! For Pavilion events (e.g. Bingo) the bar and kitchen are open from 5.30. Bingo: Pavilion on alternate Fridays (see Facebook/noticeboards for dates): Eyes down 7.30pm. Community Café: on the last Thursday of every month, starting at 2pm. Rotating between St Marys Church, the Village Hall and the Pavilion. Donations of cakes always welcome! See Facebook for venue each time. A Village Hall Breakfast Morning is planned for February: See Facebook and noticeboards! Thursday 9 January, 7.30pm, All Saints Church, Ashcott: Rico Tice. See p.3. Tuesday 14 January, 7.30pm, Village Hall: Shapwick Starlets WI. Saturday 25 January, 7pm, Village Hall: Chilli Jam! Tuesday 28 January, 7pm, Village Hall: Parish Council Meeting Thursday 30 January, 2pm: Community Café. See Facebook for venue. Friday 1 February: Bunny Hop registration closing soon! See: fullonsport.com Tuesday 11 Febuary, 7.30pm, Village Hall: Shapwick Starlets WI. Thursday 27 February, 2pm: Community Café. See Facebook for venue. Thursday 27 February, 6.30 for 7, Village Hall: History Group: Barry Wratten on Wells Cathedral (see p. 3) Tuesday 11 March, 7.30pm, Village Hall: Shapwick Starlets WI. Thursday 27 March, 2pm: Community Café. See Facebook for venue. Monday 21 April (Easter Monday): Bunny Hop! See p. 6. Following recent league success both Adult teams are rebuilding with results reflecting this. We have once again been very lucky to promote 4 Youth players into the Adult section. We continue to hold “Mini Kickers” training sessions for 3-5 years old each Saturday morning at Coronation Playing Fields, from 10am during the season. This gives children a first taste of football, focusing on the fun element of sport and teamwork. The café is open at the playing fields every Saturday morning during the season if you fancy a coffee, bacon roll or cakes! Interested in joining the club? Have any further questions? Please contact Colin Macpherson, Club Chairman, 07886 210168 colin.macpherson@ashcottfc.co.uk Call for Volunteers & Contributions Like to help edit future issues? Please email: shapwick.news@shapwickparishcouncil.org.uk. Shapwick News is a quarterly publication. For the spring issue, due to publish in April 2025, please submit contributions by no later than 15 March 2025, preferably via email above. Thank you! There is no guarantee that all material submitted will be used - publication is at the Editor's discretion and articles may be amended or condensed. We do not print anonymous contributions but are prepared to include items under a pen name, if so desired, on condition that we are given the name and address of the author(s). Opinions expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Editor nor Parish Council. Winter Issue,January 2025: Published by Shapwick Parish Council, edited by Moray McGowan, assisted by Charlotte Douglas (page 4, the quiz and some great graphics on pages 1 and 7!) WI NTER I S SUE | J ANUARY 2 0 2 5 8 Ashcott Football Club The Summer 2024 Jam was such a great occasion, so let’s do it all again next year on the 7th June 2025. Tickets will be available from mid-February at Early Bird prices; look out on the web site and Shapwick Residents for more news. We have had some great open mic evenings too, and over the year been able to donate £2,000 to Shapwick Village Hall to assist in their fabulous Refurbishment Project. We have donated to Shapwick History Group, the Allotment Association, Somerset Air Ambulance and an essential project with Shapwick Church in the New Year. Next up is Chilli Jam, Saturday 25th January in the Village Hall (see below!). Watch out for the ticket release details on Facebook, the website and on village notice boards. They will be available soon after the Christmas festivities, but there are limited numbers so please buy tickets in advance from Sid on 01458 210185. Tickets cost £5, chilli is £3. Doors open at 7pm, live music from 7.45pm. Looking forward to seeing you all then, should be great fun! All the best for 2025! The Jam Team News from the Shapwick Jam Team
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