Gardens now open to the public For many years, this historic country estate in Somerset has been under restoration. The first phase of The Newt in Somerset is now open, a visitor attraction incorporating its local heritage and curiously cultivated gardens. The Newt in Somerset – formerly Hadspen House – is a working estate celebrating… Continue Reading
Secure your doors and windows! The Batcombites are planning to raid Bruton again – as they did on 24 February 1641! The English Civil War Society will re-enact this event as part of the Bruton 400 celebrations. A ‘Living History’ village will be in the field next to Lusty Bridge and Budgens at the West… Continue Reading
Castle Cary Museum is looking for a competent person to look after its Archive. This needs to be someone with relevant qualifications and experience. There are no fixed hours and the work would be done on a voluntary basis. We would hope for participation in the Museum’s management committee which meets approximately once a month.… Continue Reading
Long standing Bruton restaurant Truffles Brasserie will be reopening from 1st March 2019. Catering and day to day management for the restaurant will be in the experienced hands of Annie Austin of The Table. This is Annie’s website: http://www.tablecatering.co.uk/ For more information, call or e-mail on 01749 812180 or trufflesbruton@gmail.com Continue Reading
Bruton’s award-winning parish magazine The Dove publishes its 100th issue this month, and has celebrated with a colour section and a special cover treatment. The magazine, which covers Bruton and the wider benefice, is edited by Elizabeth Balfour and run by a team of volunteers. Pick up a copy of the special edition before they… Continue Reading
The current exhibition at Bruton’s Museum is a collection of contemporary bricolage and drawings by artist Alexandra Drysdale. What’s bricolage, you ask? It’s the creation or construction from a diverse range of available things, the process of improvisation in a human endeavour. The objects on display combine original and traditional techniques of art and craft,… Continue Reading
Roving Crows will be playing at Caryford Hall, Maggs Lane, Castle Cary BA7 7JJ on Saturday 08 December. They are a Celtic folk fusion band – innovative, funky and energetic. Doors open 18.45. Performance starts 19.30. Advance tickets £12.00 from Bailey Hill bookshop, Castle Cary or www.wegottickets.com/event/436734 £15 on the door. Plenty of free off road parking and cash… Continue Reading
On the twelfth of December Bruton will light up for the Bruton Christmas Evening. Join us from 6pm to witness the lantern procession as local children guide Father Christmas to his grotto. Come into the grotto at the old Post Office (40 High Street) for your child to see Santa and receive a special gift.… Continue Reading
Westbury station will be closed over Christmas and New Year, meaning that most northbound trains from Bruton will not go beyond Frome. This will disrupt travellers to and from Bath, Bristol, Salisbury, Southampton and London Waterloo. A bus service will run from Frome. From the GWR website: Westbury Station will be closed from Sunday 23… Continue Reading
The team behind a proposed new housing development off the Brewham Road near Darkey Lane are holding a drop-in session so locals can find out more about their plans. The developers are Acorn, the company behind the project currently being built on the Frome Road, but this development will be very different in character and affordability.… Continue Reading
A memorial service for Neville Chamberlain, for many years Master of Sexey’s Hospital and a well loved and respected member of the Bruton community, will be held on November 24th at 10am at St Mary’s. The Rt Rev Chamberlain, who before moving to Bruton was Bishop of Brechin, died on October 8th, aged 78. Daily… Continue Reading
On 28th March we were thrilled to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to Bruton where she paid visit to a number of local institutions, including Hauser & Wirth Somerset and Roth Bar & Grill. Earlier in the day, Her Majesty officially opened the Queen Elizabeth Music School at King’s School, Bruton on the occasion of their… Continue Reading
The organisers of a festival at Gilcombe Farm are offering Bruton residents a discount on ticket. The One Love festival is described as “at the forefront of the UK Reggae and World music scene for over 11yrs – The People’s Festival of un-dividing peace and un-conquering love – we create a world that allows you… Continue Reading
Note that the Lamyatt Fete on June 30th starts at 3pm, not 2pm as previously advertised. Lamyatt-Fete Continue Reading
Inspired by a windswept walk though the forest and onto the beach, Caro welcomes you to enjoy their menu of Northern European ingredients, bringing a uniquely Nordic experience to life. £35, BYOB. Email hello@carosomerset.com to book. June 16th at 7.30pm, The Space at Caro, Grove Alley. Continue Reading
Pitcombe Fayre on Satrurday June 16th promises a fun afternoon for all the family. The afternoon, which kicks off at 12 at Hadspen Village Hall, includes a barbeque & bar, amusements and displays, family dog show, stalls and entertainments and live music. Bring the Mother in Law, the children and your dog! Admission is free… Continue Reading
There may not have been a Packhorse Fair this year – it will return in 2019 – but that doesn’t mean that Bruton is missing a chance to party in the sun (hopefully). Hauser & Wirth is hosting a festival weekend in July which will unite the gallery, restaurant, and farm with a host of… Continue Reading
Happy’s Circus is coming to Bruton on Friday 11th May to raise money for Bruton Primary School. Don’t forget to grab your tickets whilst you can from Bruton Primary school and Church Bridge Stores…a perfect time for family and friends to come together for an evening of fun and laughter! 6pm at Sheephouse Farm, Brewham… Continue Reading
With summer around the corner Bruton Choral Society are delighted to present a special 25th Anniversary Gala Concert and Celebration of the Royal Wedding, to be held at King’s Bruton on Saturday 19 May at 7.30pm. The Society are proud of keeping the tradition of choral singing alive: this concert aims to be a celebration… Continue Reading
A limited number of places are still available on two writing courses run in Shepton Montague by Susan Elderkin. Contect her for more details: hello@susanelderkin.com 07981 924315 Continue Reading
The musical successor to the sci-fi horror classic movie, with added rock & roll and laughs, is coming to Bruton in April. It may also bear a passing resemblance to The Tempest, if you haven’t seen the film.. Bruton and Batcombe Players are staging the show in the 12th, 13th and 14th of April in… Continue Reading
Bruton Carers Support Group needs friendly people to help the sessions to run smoothly, and provide support to people who spend lots of their time caring for others. The group gives carers the opportunity to take a break, meet other carers, find out how to access information, and get support. It takes place at the… Continue Reading
Come to a public meeting to hear about BrueCREW’s projects for 2017/2018: 7.30-9.30pm, Wednesday 29 November in the Clubroom, At The Chapel, Bruton and bring your skills, knowledge and energy. BrueCREW is a new charitable incorporated organisation set up to restore the natural balance of Bruton’s stretch of the river Brue as a haven for… Continue Reading
We’re looking to volunteers to assist us with adding news and articles, keeping the diary up to date, and making sure the information on here is correct. The site is run by a small team and we could really do with some more hands! If you could spare an hour or two a month it… Continue Reading
Singer-songwriter, musician & actress Charlie Dore, best known for her 1979 US hit “Pilot of the Airwaves”, visits Castle Cary next month. She will be joined on stage by Julian Littman (Steeleye Span, Dexy’s Midnight Runners) who has performed with Charlie throughout her career including Glastonbury and Cropredy festivals. Expect an evening of eclectic, contemporary… Continue Reading
Acclaimed Scottish landscape photographer Max Milligan will be exhibiting some of his latest work at Settlers Stores new boutique in Frome as part of Somerset Art Weeks Prospect Festival 2017. On the walls of Settlers Stores, travel photographer Max Milligan will be displaying dramatic photographs from Congo, Ghana and Scotland. A fine art photographer, Max has published six books, and his work has been exhibited around the world. “Company Founder Zara d‘Abo“ Continue Reading
We would like a few more volunteers to help out or even cook a healthy/hearty meal every 4 to 6 weeks for about 15-18 people. Nothing fancy!! All expenses reimbursed. Our members are elderly folk and really look forward to their Monday get together. If you feel you can help us out could you please contact Patricia Whittock on 01749 812035 or 07754 150419 or e-mail patriciawhittock@gmail.com Continue Reading
Somerset Wildlife Trust’s special fundraiser returns for a second year and is proud to present the ‘Steam Tea Wildlife Special’ steam train ride on Thursday 26th October. This year it returns with a special VIP guest – Val Stones from TV’s ‘Great British Bake Off’. Winning the hearts of millions, and much loved for her cheeky comments,… Continue Reading
Avalon Marshes Somerset, near the Rive Brue below Galstonbury, which conserves the unique landscape, heritage and wildlife of the local wetland area, was voted the Best Environment Project in the National Lottery Awards; the annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects. Local man Bill Bailey returned to his home county to deliver the… Continue Reading
The first ever Superhero Tri, powered by npower, celebrated over 1,500 Everyday Superheroes at the atmospheric event More than 20 teams took part in the Celebrity Superhero Tri alone, each with their own Celebrity Team Captain Celebrity Team Captains included MBE and double Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock, who led team npower through the Superhero Tri The Superhero… Continue Reading
In the historic Round Tower Gallery at the Black Swan Arts (Venue 3) in Frome, Angela Morley and Fiona Campbell will show art made from the wrapping and weaving of natural and found materials. Angela plays with functional versus abstract forms, while Fiona’s work blurs the boundaries between drawing and sculpture. Also at the Black… Continue Reading
9th August 2017 – Since the 1930s in the UK we’ve lost 97% of our wildflower meadows, and with them our critical pollinators such as bees and butterflies. To help reverse this decline, and to support the creation of a beautiful expanse of meadow to support Somerset’s bees and butterflies, Somerset Wildlife Trust has created… Continue Reading
Three artists from Somerset were faced with the prospect of having nowhere to show their work for this year’s SAW until a brand new venue was offered to them. A barn in the charming village of Chesterblade, in an idyllic rural setting will provide the perfect space for the exhibition of work from Rose Hubbard, Ashar Art and Claudia Gunton for the two week festival. Rose, a photographer and former Countryfile winner has been experimenting for the past two years with chemigrams, a cameraless photo technique, to produce unique images that fall somewhere between photography and painting. Ashar, an established artist from Langport will be showing her latest work entitled ‘Letting Go’ which is based on freedom… working in oils, one of her recent abstract images was selected to hang at this year’s RA summer show leading to international interest in her work. Claudia’s latest work has been produced over the last twelve months using acrylic on board and she returns to her successful recurring themes of gleaming lanes and dark trees of winter. Together the three artists have produced a collection of work that is linked by the mutual love of their relationship to their surroundings enforced by strong and effective mark marking and vibrant colour. Their work can be seen at Venue 12, Small Down House, Winterwell Lane, Chesterblade. BA4 4QX Tel: 07725040721 from 23rd September to 8th October 2017 11pm to 6pm Continue Reading
The picture shows Gordon Fry (right), Chairman of Bruton Community Partnership (BCP) presenting a cheque for £15,252.03 this morning to the Bruton Town Council, which was accepted by Cllr James Hood (left). The money was raised for the multi-use games area (MUGA) at Jubilee Park in Bruton, at a BCP fundraising event planned and hosted… Continue Reading
House, techno, drum & bass and breaks extravaganza Field Trip Festival is back from 25 to 28 August. It takes place at the lush Gilcombe Farm in Bruton. Shortlisted for ‘Best UK Dance Event’ at this year’s UK Festival Awards, Field Trip keeps things personal with a 3,000 capacity and four-stage set-up that covers many musical bases. It boasts great production and light and sound, and when the sun sets and rises in the backdrop there are some truly spine-tingling memories to be made. Add in fairground rides, all sorts of plush camping options, stalls and a great range of food and drink options and this is the only festival you need. The biggest names are dance legends Leftfield, who play a special DJ set covering all the sounds they are known for, and Faithless, the iconic dance band with more hits than any other act. They also play a special DJ set and will be joined by the likes of Circus boss Yousef, Polish house stars Cats N’ Dogz, Eat Static Live, Benny Page, Goldie Lookin Chain, CamelPhat and many more. As well as a Ministry of Sound takeover, Viper Recordings Live will be running the drum & bass tent on Saturday 26th with special guest headliner DJ Hype alongside Koven, InsideInfo, Cyantific, Mob Tactics & BMotion. Benny Page will headline a three-hour Run Tingz Recordings, and get ready for Randall b2b Dillinga b2b Bryan Gee. Times and ticket prices from: www.fieldtripparty.co.uk; www.facebook.com/events/759482454220386; www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/field-trip-festival-tickets-30329288719. Continue Reading
Fifty-four–year-old Sean O’Connor from Bruton had his left leg amputated in 2014, but that won’t stop him from taking on an epic challenge on 19 August at Dorney Lake. Big, bold and gutsy, Superhero Tri is the debut event in the Superhero Series, the only sports series dedicated the ‘Everyday Superhero’ – the UK’s 12 million people with disabilities and long-term injuries. Sean will be joining over a thousand Superheroes who have already signed up for the event, as well as a whole host of Paralympians and TV personalities – from the Last Leg’s Adam Hills to new sporting superstar Kadeena Cox. Twenty celebrities in all will be taking part to show their support for a series that throws out restrictive equipment rules and regulations to give people with all kinds of disabilities the chance to find their inner superpower and achieve an inspirational goal. The unique challenges are designed to encourage the ‘Everyday Superhero’ to unite with family and friends to take part in a triathlon with as much or as little support as they need. Sean will be taking on the half Superhero Tri (400m swim, 10k bike, 2.5k push/run) with his Side-kick son Ethan. Sean’s Super Skills: ●Earth years: “54” ●Hometown: “Bruton, Somerset” ●Your chosen mission: “To complete in the Half Superhero Tri despite my missing part.” ●Your disability and how it will challenge you: “I had my left leg amputated in 2014 after years of pain. I struggled to become mobile and let it get me down. With lots of encouragement and support from ITV’s Lorraine and inspired by the likes of Sophia and other Paralympians I was determined to get back on my ‘foot’ again.” ●Ever done anything like this before? “I did a 5k run in 2016.” ●Sporting super-stripes? “I was sporty when I was young then an accident put an end to that. I became a rather round couch potato over the subsequent years. My amputation and subsequent prosthesis has allowed me to try those things I never thought possible.” ●Why Superhero Tri? “I met Sophia Warner last year and was inspired by her enthusiasm and I wanted to step up my challenge this year.” ●What you’re most looking forward to: “Joining all the others, either participating, supporting or cheering everyone on.” ●Your Kryptonite: “The bike ride should be a challenge as I only learnt to ride a bike again last year.” ●Gadget/s of choice? “My son Ethan as I’m hoping he will carry my leg while I am swimming.” ●Sean’s Superpower: “My family.” Everyday Superhero Sean said: “I am hugely excited to take part in the Superhero Series, especially as I can team up with my family in the Superhero Team Tri. I think that anyone who wants to challenge what is possible should sign up for this unique event.” Paralympian and Superhero Series founder Sophia Warner from Dorking said: “I am thrilled that so many Everyday Superheroes now have the opportunity to come together and compete alongside like-minded individuals. My own experiences, combined with meeting many sports lovers like Sean over the years who are crying out for more opportunities are the inspiration for this series.” … Continue Reading
The Jar Family will be performing at Caryford Community Hall, Castle Cary on Saturday 29 July. They are a Hartlepool-based band who have supported Alabama 3 on two UK tours. At a recent gig at the David Hall, South Petherton, they received a standing ovation and it was said to have been the best show at the hall in 14 years. They are a collective group of singer/songwriters whose sum of their parts is even more than their individual talents. Five equally strong front-men and a vast array of carefully crafted songs of multiple genre and tempo from industrial folk to indie rock, the band has attracted a lot of attention on the live scene. Tickets £15 from www.wegottickets.com This is a fundraising event for Caryford Community Hall’s Development Fund Continue Reading
Wed 24 May Fmly Store: Crafty lock-in, 6–8pm. Adult-only evening of crafts and catch-ups – make a pompom garland to take home, and enjoy exclusive discounts. BYOB, we’ll provide the nibbles. Tickets £7.50. https://events.thefmlystore.com/event/crafty-lock-in/ Mon 29 May Fmly Store: Special Monday opening to celebrate the Bruton Packhorse Fair. Enjoy a free mask-making session with Artist-in-Residence… Continue Reading
Saturday 25 March Castle Cary Market House, 9am to 12pm. Wide selection of refurbished and nearly-new tools and equipment. Something for everyone – Guaranteed! vintage tools and curios. Secateurs, shears, spades, forks, carpentry tools and much, much more. In aid of ‘Tools for Self Reliance’, a charity which provides tools and training for projects in… Continue Reading
A tremendous exhibition of ceramics, Material: Earth, is on at Messum’s Barn in Tisbury until 1 May. Artists include such world-famous names as Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, Grayson Perry, Edmund de Waal and Elizabeth Fritsch, among many others. Further information: info@messumswiltshire.com or 01747 445 042. Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Court Street, Tisbury SP3 6LW. Continue Reading