Village FaceBook Group
There is a very active Stawell and Sutton Mallet FaceBook group. You may apply to join, and if you live in Stawell or Sutton Mallet you will be admitted. As the group is getting rather large now we have decided to restrict members who are not villagers to those who have something significant to offer the group or who have a genuine interest in the community. If you just want to know what is going on then everything is posted here, on the website.
Commemorative Service
There will be “An Official Commemoration Service of Holy Communion” marking the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” at 10 a.m. at St Francis chapelry this coming Sunday, 18th September.
The Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council will be making a local proclamation at 1600 hrs on Sunday 11 September in King Square, Bridgwater. The local proclamation ceremony marks the formal Proclamation to the people of Sedgemoor District Council to mark the beginning of our new King’s reign.
Anyone wanting to attend to observe this historic moment will be welcome to attend.
Prayers for Queen Elizabeth II
Although the church is always open for those wishing to visit, on Saturday, 10 September at 5:00pm there will be a special opportunity for people to come together to offer prayers and share personal tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Everyone is welcome
It's starting to happen again in September
Parish Council Minutes. The minutes of the quite busy September meeting are now posted here under the Organisatons/Parish Council menu.
Who Cares For Carers? If you regularly look after someone in an unpaid caring capacity, this may be a family member or friend, Somerset Carers can support you with advice and guidance.
Caring for another person is very rewarding, but can be overwhelming and lonely at times.
Somerset Carers can help with:
- Linking you to groups & events in your area
- Finding information that will help you and the person you are caring for, tailored to you
- Guiding you through financial support you may be eligible for & assisting you with applications
More Information at Somerset Carers.
Spreading hope on World Suicide Prevention Day: In preparation for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September, Somerset County Council’s Public Health team are asking members of the public to share quotes, lyrics or poems that have helped them to get through difficult times in their lives.
Contributions will be compiled into a digital ‘Book of Hope’, together with signposting to local mental health services and support. The project will be unveiled at an event ‘Walk For A Life’ at Somerset County Cricket Ground on Saturday 10 September.
The event aims to raise awareness of suicide in Somerset and is supported by partners including Somerset Foundation Trust, Open Mental Health and Stepladder. On the day, attendees will walk a route through Taunton Town Centre in memory of all those impacted by suicide within the County. They will then end the walk at the Somerset County Cricket Ground, where a number of local partners and stakeholders will be on hand to offer information and advice.
Parish Council: The next meeting is on Monday, 5 September at 7:00pm in the Village Hall.
HUB Cafe: At last we see the welcome return of the rather wonderful HUB Cafe. Put 10 September in your diary and come on down to the Village Hall. Doors open at 10:00am and stay open until 1:00pm. For newer villagers, this is a well-attended event where we get together for a chat with friends and neighbours while enjoying a good cup of coffee from the new machine plus loads of different food and drink options.
Secret Postcard Art Exhibition: There is still time to create a tiny masterpiece. All the details are in a post further down this page but you need to submit your work to an organiser by 21 September and the exhibition runs in the Telephone Box Library from 24 September to 7 October.
Coffee Morning: This month the coffee morning will be hosted by Tina and Paul Swift at Carisbrook House. The event runs from 10:00am to 12:00pm on 24 September. Again, a lovely, well-attended occasion where everyone can chat with friends and neighbours. This month the collection will be going to the MacMillan Cancer Trust.
Harvest Supper: This annual event takes place on the evening of 24 September but there is plenty of time to attend the coffee morning as well. The village hall doors open at 6:00pm for a 7:00pm sit down for the harvest supper’
Tickets £12 (Adults), £7 (Children U12yo) from Ruth 722914, Richard 722284, Janet 723844
Bring your own drinks and glasses
Raffle to Support Bridgwater Food Bank
BYO drinks and Glasses
Quiet August
August, when many people are away on holiday, is always a quiet month in the shire. However, one event that takes every month without fail is the:
Church Coffee Morning: This August your hosts are Anna and Ralph Sealey at Cape House, Stawell. Doors are open from 10:00am until 12;00pm on 27 August .
We do have news of a major event coming in October. Tickets will be limited and go on sale soon.
An Evening with "Trip for Biscuits" and a Three Course Meal
The Village Hall Committee are pleased to announce a very special evening of entertainment on Saturday 22 October.
The 7 piece Trip for Biscuits are unique – they play in the 1920s/Great Gatsby style but their repertoire covers the 20s to the present. -music like you never heard it before.
Check out their music at Trip for Biscuits – The Music!
Local chef, Matt Brooks of The Old Tannery, will be producing a gourmet three-course meal using the best of local produce.
Starter: Roast Squash and Chilli Soup
Main: Slow roast Oaklands goat shoulder or Slow cooked pork, pommes Anna, greens & salsa verde
or Grilled king oyster mushroom, pommes Anna, greens & salsa verde
Dessert: Dark chocolate mousse, fruit compote, feuilletine
Maxine and Denise will be coming round to sell tickets very soon. Tickets will be £30 per head (non-refundable). Ticket numbers are limited.
Wow..it's July already'
Children In Need Countryfile Ramble
Very early notice so no excuses for not getting this one in your diary.
Denise Rogers is organising Children in Need Ramble on 9th October . It is open to ALL – Families, children, dogs (on leads), friends, visitors. It’s a gentle 3 mile route across the fields. The hall will be open for Cream Teas.
Denise asks those people who take part to donate £5 each with the proceeds going to the Countryfile Children in Need Appeal. Dogs on leads at all times are welcome Should you have any questions please email me or call in – denise.rogers40@btinternet.com (Holly Tree House, Stawell).
MOMSS: The August digital edition of MOMSS is now available. It can be found under the Organisation/Church menu under the
July Coffee Morning: The hosts this month are Sue and Steve Bramble at Walnut Tree Barn, Stawell. As usual, the event runs from 10:00am to 12:00pm on 30 July.
Cream Tea Donations: The following report on the recent Cream Tea event comes from Richard Graham.
Almost half the village attended this on a glorious day. Galyna Tryndy, the Somerset coordinator for aid to Ukraine, attended. With donations before, during and after, the donations jar had an incredible £500 in it that has been given to her. Subsequently she has told us that a van is going out this week and next week with supplies. People are very generous, thank you.
All the cream tea supplies were donated as well and so just over £200 was made for church funds which are mainly used for the diocese to support incumbents; training, salary, pension, and housing.
Many thanks.
Richard Graham
Cream Teas
The Church is hosting a Cream Tea event on 16 July. The Village Hall doors open from 3:00pm until 5:00pm.
Cream teas and other goodies will be available. Cream Teas £3 per person.
There will also be a collection jar for medical supplies for the Ukraine. Donations of money have already started to come in from generous villagers. If you cannot attend the Cream Tea event please do still consider donating; you can give your donation to Leanne Graham or another member of the church committee
The person in charge of the organisation that donations will go to will be attending the event and she would love to talk to you about her work, how your donation will be spent, and the current situation in Ukraine. She is Ukranian and maintains close contacts in the country.
Secret Postcard Art Exhibition 2022
Sat 24th Sept-Fri 7th Oct in the Stawell Telephone Box
Everyone, of all ages, living in Stawell or Sutton Mallet, is invited once again to create a masterpiece on a postcard.
Your work will be exhibited anonymously as part of an amazing display in the telephone box. You may use any medium – any type of paint, wood, collage, charcoal, crayon, ink, photography…whatever you like. The only limit is that it is postcard sized which means it should be about 10 x 14 cm.
After the exhibition entries will be sold off to raise funds for the Bridgwater Food Bank.
Entries should be complete and handed in to an organiser by Wednesday 21 September. For further details please contact one of the organisers:
Margaret Williams: mewilliams8@hotmail.com
Jackie Lusty: jackie_lusty@hotmail.com
Kay McDonald: mcdonald.kay@googlemail.com
Parish Council: The minutes of the latest, July, Parish Council meeting are now available. They can be found under the ‘Organisations/Parish Council’ menu.
MOMSS: The July, digital edition of the magazine is now available under the ‘Organisations/Church’ menu.
Ruth Peberdy: Those of you who know Ruth will know that she has been waiting for an operation to improve her mobility for some time. Her brother has asked for an update to be posted here. Ruth had her operation at the weekend and her surgeon is very pleased with the outcome. She is standing and walking already so the outlook is good. Her family wish to thank all her friends and neighbours who have been supporting Ruth through recent times.
Parish Council Meeting: the July meeting will take place on the 4th. The agenda is available under the ‘Organisations/Parish Council, menu’
June Events and News
Clearly, the Jubilee celebrations are the big events of the month, year, decade… and all the details are given below. The latest update is that on Saturday evening, at the hog roast, there is a live showing of the Platinum Party Concert from Buckingham Palace. This will now be followed by a showing of the film Darkest Hour. This finishes at 1.00am and the bar will be open throughout! This is obviously dependent on there being people who want to stay and watch it.
Coffee Morning: The June coffee morning will be hosted by Rachel and Roy Fortune at 6 Manor Court on 25 June. As usual, the event will run from 10:00am until noon. Drinks and delicious home made cakes will, of course, be on offer. This is a great way to meet friends and neighbours old and new so do drop by.
Parish Council Audit: Four public documents relating to the 2021/22 audit of the Parish Council accounts are now available under the Organisations/Parish Council menu.
MOMSS. The colour, digital version of the magazine is now available under the Organisations/Church menu
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022 Celebrations
Car Parking on Sunday: Looks like the Sunday afternoon street party will be a popular and memorable event. Please can anyone who parks in the VH car park please move their vehicle for Sunday as the VH committee has asked so there is space for everyone to have a great time.
“All cars MUST be removed from the VH car park by 10 am on the Sunday 5th June for the ‘Street party’ There are now over 100! people attending and with the bouncy castle and skittle alley there can be NO vehicles at all please.”
Having listened to the concerns and issues raised by members of our community in respect to the forth coming Beacon event, it has been agreed that this will now take place on Richard Graham’s hill where all the other Beacon events have taken place.
This will then allow it to be a proper Beacon and not just a bonfire to celebrate this historic event.
However, all wood used for this Beacon must be free of all metals ie screw, nuts bolts & nails. So we need all hands on deck this coming Sunday at 3pm to help remove all the metal from the wood stored at the village hall. Please bring your pliers, hammers & gloves etc.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Unfortunately, the Glastonbury Woodfire Pizza van will no longer be able to attend on Thursday 2nd June to unforeseen circumstances, however there will be hot food available from the kitchen.
Thursday 2nd June
Bar open for drinks from 7 – 11pm
Hedge Monkey Ale on draught
Hot food available from the kitchen
Choir to sing “A Life Lived with Grace” 9.15pm
Lighting of the Beacon 9.45pm
Then return to the hall for celebratory drink to HM
Saturday 4th June
Bar open for drinks from 7.30 – 11pm
Hog Roast £5 purchase on the night from 8pm. Please book Veggie Burgers in advance with Denise Rogers.
(NO TICKET REQUIRED)
Platinum Party at the Palace streaming live from 8 pm on the big screen
Sunday 5th June
2.30pm – onwards at the Village Hall
Afternoon bring & share tea party with Pimms
Bouncy Castle (2 – 12 years only)
Skittle Alley – Ice Creams – Bar open
Tickets £1 – in advance from Denise Roger 07557336321
Sunday 5th June
10.00am in the Church
All Age Worship in part to celebrate the faithfulness of HM Queen Elizabeth II over 70 years.
Several people are arranging flowers in different parts of the church. All welcome.
Yay...it's May!
It’s wonderful to see the new leaves and blossom on the trees around the village. May is a beautiful month.
Parish Council: The agenda for the June 6 meeting of the Parish Council is now published under the Organisations/Parish Council menu
The colour edition of this month’s MOMSS is now available under the ‘Organisations/Church’ menu.
A reminder to yoga fans that the Friday morning sessions now take place every Friday and move to a 10am start time. Tuesday evening sessions take place most weeks – check out the calendar for dates.
The Parish Council Annual Meeting, followed by the Annual Parish Meeting take place on Monday 9 May, beginning at 7:00 pm. The agendas are available under the @organisations@ menu.
There is a Hub Cafe at the Village Hall on 7 May. Doors open for 10:00am and lovely food’ drinks and good company are available until 1:00pm. If you haven’t been along to a HUB Cafe before you are guaranteed a great welcome and can drink some great coffee, or other drink of choice, along with hot sausage, egg or bacon baps or butties..to be followed up with a slice of one of a beautiful array of cakes.
The Church Coffee Morning is to be held on 28 May and will be hosted by those wonderful people at Willow Cottage 
Don’t forget to check out the details for the planned Jubilee events early in June
Spring into April
Village Hall Car Park: Please could all cars be removed from the car park by Saturday evening. There is a private event taking place on Sunday
Church Coffee Mornings: The April Coffee Morning will be held on 30 April. the host will be Denise Rogers at Holly Tree House.
For future reference, the dates and locations for the rest of the year are:
28th May – Brian & Janet Scowcroft, Willow Cottage
25th June – Rachel and Roy Fortune – 6 Manor Court
30th July Steve and Sue Bramble , Walnut Tree Barn
27th August Ralph and Anna Sealey, Cape House
24th Sept Tina and Paul Swift, McMillan Cancer Trust
29th October Nick and Alison Dunsby, The Clock Barn
26th Nov Jon and Arlette Banister, The Old Manor
10th Dec Margaret Hudson, 3 Church Farm Close.
Yoga Update
From the start of May, Clare Jones will be leading the Friday Yoga sessions in the village hall.
All the dates, times, and details are on the poster.
Valerie will continue to lead the Tuesday evening sessions.
MOMSS: The latest, colour, digital edition of MOMSS is now available under the “Organisations/Church” menu
Finally, after a two year hiatus we have the long awaited return of the ……Easter Bingo and Lamb Bonanza!
Come along to Stawell Village Hall on Saturday 9th April for an evening of good-natured competition and fun, with seasonal refreshments.
Doors open at 7pm, eyes down at 7.30pm.
Thanks go to Graham and Jill Fry who have donated a leg of lamb for the Bonanza – other prize donations can be dropped off with Tina Swift or left by the font in Stawell Church.
Come along and bring the family – anyone can play!
March Happenings and News
Parish Council Meeting: The agenda for the meeting of the Parish Council, scheduled for 4 April 2022, is now available on this website.
Road Closures: I have been informed of two planned road closures in the villages.
The first closure will be of Stawell Road out beyond the Hideaway Caravan park and the Billicombe Lane junction. It is planned for the 11-14 April. The reason is “.. to clear blockages in carriageway on behalf of BT Openreach”. The link gives a map showing the location of the planned works. https://one.network/?tm=127106295
The second closure should begin on 14 April and last for 5 days and is for the same reason. This time the work is in Sutton Mallet and will close the road from just past the church to Godfreys farm. Here is a link to a map of the location. https://one.network/?tm=127102256
HUB Cafe: As promised, social events in the village will be starting again in March. The first of these,that I’m aware of so far, is the long awaited return of the HUB Cafe on 12 March in the Village Hall.
Lent Lunch: Come along and share a lunch of homemade soup, bread and cheese with friends and neighbours. All proceeds go to charity. 12-2pm in the village hall on Saturday 19 March.
MOMSS: The March edition is now published (under the Organisations/Church menu).
Village Hall Minutes: The latest minutes are now published….and in a bit of a catch-up we now have all the 2021 minutes too!
Parish Council Minutes: The March minutes are now published
February News and Events
Recycle More
I think we all got our new blue bags today. We’ve had leaflets through our doors but it might be helpful to cover the main changes here.
The new collections begin on March 2nd 2022
Our collection day changes to Wednesday.
Recycling will be collected every Wednesday.
Rubbish in normal bins will only be collected once every three weeks. Check out the calendar below.
Watch the video below for guidance on what goes in which box/bag
If your question isn’t covered here, you can check out the information at https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycle-more/
Parish Council Minutes: THe minutes of the February meeting are now published under the ‘Organisations/Parish Council’ menu
The February MOMMS has probably dropped through your letterbox but there is a digital edition posted under the “Organisations/Church” menu on the site. Always good to see the colour version of the cover art.
Neighbourhood Watch: Here are a couple of links to advice from Avon and Somerset Police as a result of some incidents reported in the region.
Investment Scams on Social Media
Village Hall Events…coming soon. The committee have been listening to villagers and sense a continued reluctance to mix with larger groups, It has been decided to launch a full programme of events In March. This will certainly include a Film Night and HUB Cafe. There are also early plans to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee later in the year.
Road Closure change: The date for a closure of the A39 above the village has changed. The road will now be closed from 21 February for 5 days (9:30-15:30hrs) and for 5 nights (18:30-07:00hrs) from 28 February. This is for resurfacing works.
LINK to the council notice.
January Goings On
Parish Council: The agenda for the next meeting, to be held on 7 February, has now been published. The agenda can be found under the “Organisations” menu.
The deadline is just nine weeks away for anyone wishing to stand for election to a local council in May . There is a press release giving full details here.
Two Somerset and Avon Police Crime Reports
I have received two reports concerning break-ins in the local area. The first concerns a shed break-in over in Cossington where a ride-on lawnmower was stolen. The second relates to a series of break-ins into houses. None so far are on the Poldens but none are that far away so it is useful to be forewarned and the report offers advice to residents. Worth a read. The reports are available at:
A39 Road Closures
You may have seen the road closure signs on the A39. Here are the details.
The County Council will be undertaking urgent works to remove trees suffering from Ash Dieback next week on the A39 Puriton Hill – from the Bath Road junction (Silverfish) to the Ashcott Pipers Inn A361 Junction.
The road will be closed to all traffic between the hours of 09:15 and 15:30 weekdays from 10th Jan to 14th Jan 5 days.
The Diversion route will be signed. (There are currently 3 illumined advance warning signs at the M5, Silverfish junction and the Ashcott – Pipers Inn A361 junction.
Village Advent Calendar Trail
A big thank you to everyone who took part in the village advent calendar trail event. Thanks also to Clare who generously gave gift bags to all the children taking part. Thanks also to everyone who contributed and bought maps to the decorated windows and fences. The event raised £223 for the Bridgwater Food Bank.
We went out on Christmas Eve to view all the windows and I took photos of them all. Unfortunately quite a few suffered from camera shake (No – I hadn’t partaken of too many festive drinks) but here are the ones that didnt come out too fuzzy.
Stepping Out do Bakeability
Fresh homemade loaves, baked to order every Wednesday, starting 12th January.
£2.00 for a crusty white loaf. Different types of bread to come later.
Please fill in the order form attached. You can return it to Stepping Out at Stawell Village Hall or email it to us at bread.steppingout@gmail.comPlease order by 12 noon on Monday.
Bread can be collected from the Village Hall on Wednesdays between 1.30 and 2.30 or we can deliver to addresses within walking distance of the hall. On the first Wednesday of the month it will be delivery only.
Each Wednesday except the first of the month, we will also be running a small café selling hot and cold drinks and cake so why not stop for some refreshments when you pick up your bread.
Regular Groups - restart dates
The Art Group restarts on Thursday 6th January. we meet at 7:00pm in the Hall. Everyone is welcome to come along and give art a go.
Yoga dates for January are: Tuesdays – 11th and 25th at 7:15 – 8:30pm and, Friday 7th, 14th and 28th at 9:15 – 10:30am
Short Mat Bowlers restart on 5th January and Zumba has a first session at 9:30am on Thursday 6 January.
The Stawell Runners group never stopped…hardy souls that we are. We go out for a run, jog, walk/run … depending on our level of fitness at the time each Sunday at 10:00am meeting a few minutes earlier for a warm-up.
Avian Influenza Prevention Zone
Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service has advised that as of 5pm on the 3 November 2021 an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was declared across Great Britain. This means that all bird keepers in Great Britain (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard are required by law to take a range of bio-security precautions. Click Here for details of all the precautions to be taken.