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Ilminster is slowly growing on me

Today the focus is on Ilminster, which is in South Somerset, which probably most of you know only by name, but it is a small village somewhat south of the A303 which is one of the main arteries between London and the south-west. We booked it for the Bridport Hat Fayre because on booking.com I couldn't find any decent accommodation along the coast, with parking at a decent price, so I had to look...

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Bridport Hat Festival

The Bridport Hat Festival started in 2010. The festival was the brainchild of Roger Snook, who wanted to create a fun event that celebrated hats and brought the community together, eventually raising money for head-related charities. We arrived on the Saturday morning about 10:30. I drove Francoise as near to the center I could and then discovered a parking place about a mile away, which suited...

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I am actually going to have a break

Dear Diary (as they say), I have not written anything since Sunday's blockbuster entry, but a lot has happened. I got a very good response to my Priddy article, and on Monday a Christian friend of mine, John, telephoned me to say how much he enjoyed the article and how it warmed his heart. Something within me triggered; I could call it inspiration. A new idea is born I thought it would be a...

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The Secret Life of Priddy

To set the scene, here’s a bit of context for what follows. I scan the Mendip Times each month to see what is going on. You would have thought that after my major effort yesterday in Stanton Drew I would have had enough of writing, but that's not the way it works with me. If I write a good piece then that stimulates me to write more, so in my search today Sunday we noticed a small entry...

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Is Stanton Drew the ideal ‘escape to the country’ location?

On a fairly rainy day we kept our agreement with ourselves to go along to Stanton Drew for their annual fair, it so happens its 20th anniversary. These fayres and fetes are a custom in country places. I have written many times about the stones in the field and the timelessness of it. The population of Stanton Drew is recorded as being 781 in 2021 so let's make a wild guess and say it is ow 850....

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A visit to a Somerset Lavender farm

Francoise is at that stage of recuperation when she needs to have a walk, so I thought, why not go to Somerset Lavender Farm, which is in a small village called Falkland about 6 miles from where we are. It is an ideal place to go to for light refreshments and a tea or coffee, not to mention the most delicious local ice cream. "At Somerset Lavender we have a farm shop and cafe, where you can...

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