Mother and baby rescued as homes are flooded and roads blocked

WEST Somerset may have escaped the worst of the recent horrendous weather, but the heavy rainfall still brought misery and discomfort to many local people.
In one incident, a mother and baby were rescued from a farmhouse near Coleford Water, Stogumber, by a Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service team.
The rescue happened on Monday, June 25, when Lydeard St Lawrence was one of the worst affected communities as many homes and other properties were flooded.
Up to four feet of floodwater engulfed the village and carried with it raw sewage which was thought to have been swept out of the local sewerage treatment works.
The drama unfolded in the darkness of the early hours of the morning.
Fire and rescue services were alerted at 2.40 am but were unable for the first two hours to reach families caught up in the emergency until the water began to recede.
It took a further three hours to pump out properties and make them safe.
Many local roads were impassable in an area stretching to Bishops Lydeard and Wiveliscombe, and there were also a number of minor landslides.
A number of homes in nearby Combe Florey were also flooded.
The return of the Britain’s Strongest Man contest to Minehead coincided with the start of heavy rainfall in the area and the event quickly became labelled ‘Britain’s Wettest Man’.
West Somerset Council came to the rescue with the loan of a number of small marquees to allow the competition to go ahead on a rain swept sea front.

• Our photograph shows the Church of St Lawrence, in Lydeard St Lawrence. Photo submitted.

Thomas the Tank Engine and friends visit West Somerset Railway

VOLUNTEERS and staff of the West Somerset Railway are preparing for one of the heritage line’s most unusual weekends of the year - the annual visit of the famous blue locomotive from the Island of Sodor, Thomas the Tank Engine.
Although Thomas will be the star of the show wherever he goes, Sir Topham Hatt - the Fat Controller - will also be attending to make sure the WSR lives up to the standards of his railway.
As Henry, Duck, and Gordon would only sulk if they had to stay at home in their sheds, they are also having an outing on the West Somerset line, taking passengers to meet Thomas at Minehead station on July 7 and 8.
For West Somerset Railway General Manager Paul Conibeare it will be his second year of working alongside Sir Topham.
Mr Conibeare said: “It was my first time in 2006 for spending a day on the platform at Minehead Station rather than on the footplate of a steam engine and it really brings home to you how much children love Thomas.
“Despite all of the other attractions we provide on the platform of Minehead station, such as the children’s entertainers, model railways, stalls, and the rest, it is the blue engine coming and going that draws the eyes and gets the excited shouts.
“There are no two other days in the West Somerset year quite like it in terms of numbers of small visitors and the excitement level.”
Visitors who want to travel from Bishops Lydeard in the morning behind Thomas’s larger friends need to pre-book seats for the trains.
There are still some vacancies on Daisy the diesel railcar and on the 12.40 steam train.
More information about the ‘Days Out with Thomas’ can be obtained by telephoning 01643 704996 or by visiting http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/.
Photos by Alan Meade.

Bishop samples produce from West Somerset Farmers' Market

THE Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Rev Peter Price, dropped in on the award-winning West Somerset Farmers’ Market to sample some of the local produce on sale.
The market, which is held every Friday in The Parade, Minehead, was packed with its usual array of fresh produce, ranging from locally-reared meats and game through to organic vegetables, fish, cheeses, herbs, pies, pickles and many others.
The Bishop showed a keen interest in the stalls and sampled some of the local produce and chatted with stallholders and customers as he made his way through the market.
Bishop Peter said: “The value of farmers’ markets is that they bring local people together and generate a real sense of community.
“They support local producers, give residents access to fresh produce, cut down food miles, which is good for the environment, and provide communities with local social events.
“As such, they are important for uniting and contributing to the social and economic well-being of our communities.”
Roger Webber, who runs Hindon Organic Farm, near Minehead, and is chairman of the market, said: “We are delighted the Bishop has taken time out of his busy schedule to visit the market to meet and talk to stallholders.
“It means a lot to us to have his support with regards to selling the district’s fresh produce to local people, and because of his recognition that markets like ours provide focal points for communities.”
The Vicar of Minehead, the Rev Simon Lloyd, said: “We are really pleased the market has been established in the centre of town.
“It is fantastic for local people and helps encourage trade and prosperity, which is great.”
West Somerset Council portfolio holder for economic development and tourism, Councillor Michael Downes, said: “We actively support the local farmers’ market because it helps sustain local businesses, which is good for the district’s economy, while also providing a popular attraction for tourists.”
The West Somerset Farmers’ Market is open from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm.

• Our photographs show (top) Bishop Peter sampling some of the produce from Hindon Organic Farm with Penny Webber (left) and Roger Webber; and (below, left to right) West Somerset Council market towns regeneration officer Pete Vallance, farmers’ market chairman Roger Webber, Councillor Michael Downes, the Right Rev Peter Price, and the Rev Simon Lloyd. Photos submitted.

Diesel and steam mix bringing back memories for Father's Day

MEMORIES should come flooding back in West Somerset this year for fathers and grandfathers who took an interest in the railways of the Westcountry during the 1960s.
For the West Somerset Railway is turning back the clock on its 20-mile line to 1965 for Father’s Day, June 17.
The heritage railway is holding a ‘Mixed Traffic Weekend’ from Friday, June 15, to Sunday, June 17, and will be reliving the period when British Railways was converting from steam to diesel power.
With this in mind, the majority of the trains will be hauled by vintage diesel locomotives, although there will also be two steam engines in action.
The diesel locomotives in service will be drawn from those in the collection of the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group, at Williton, and some guests hired in from other lines.
The ‘guests’ will include a ‘Warship’ Class D832 ‘Onslaught’, ‘Hymek’ D7076, and a Class 14 locomotive number D9520.
In addition, on the Saturday only, ‘Western’ Class D1015 ‘Western Champion’ will work an excursion train from Paddington on a tour by Past-time Rail and, before it returns home, will run a WSR service train between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard.
The home fleet will include ‘Western’ D1010 ‘Western Campaigner’, Class 14 D9526, Class 25 D7523, and the Class 47 locomotive D1661 ‘North Star’.
Shunting locomotives will also operate some shuttle services.
Among the museums which will be open along the line, the Diesel Heritage Centre, in Williton, will give an insight into the history of the development of diesel locomotives.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said: “We will have seven diesel hauled trains and four headed steam locomotives travelling over the line on Father’s Day and there is plenty of opportunity to alight at one of our stations and take in a walk and a lunch in a pub or restaurant along the way as well as riding the trains.
“And, for anybody who really remembers the 60s, there is the chance to alight at Crowcombe Heathfield for the site where Ringo rode the bicycle along the station platform in the Film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’.”
Full details of the Mixed Traffic Weekend can be obtained by telephoning 01643 704996 or visiting www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/mixedtraffic.html.

• Our photos show (top) a diesel engine and (below) a steam train which will be working on Father's Day. Photos submitted.
  

Excursions make a day to remember in heritage railway's history

ANOTHER ‘day to remember’ in the history of the West Somerset Railway occurred on Saturday, March 31, when for the first time the heritage line welcomed two mainline excursions to the branch line on the same day.
Kingfisher Railtours was the first to arrive with an excursion train from Eastleigh which arrived behind diesel locomotive 67020 and departed behind the 1926 built Southern Railway express locomotive number 850, ‘Lord Nelson’.
Departing in the early afternoon, the train passed at Blue Anchor a Nenta Tours special from Norwich, which was worked to and from Minehead by a Class 47 diesel locomotive.
Between them, the two excursions brought 526 passengers to Minehead, where they were able to enjoy time in and around the town on a sunny day.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said: “The two specials rounded off a hugely successful month for us which has also seen two other main line charters on and off the branch on March 10 and 24 and our most successful spring steam gala to date.
“Over the six days of the gala we carried over 10,000 passengers, and Saturday, March 24, was the busiest single day in our history with over 3,000 travelling.
“Nor should it be overlooked that many of the visitors to the galas stay in the area and that both gala visitors and excursionists visit local shops, pubs, and cafes and bring early season revenue into the area along the route of the West Somerset.
“We next welcome an excursion from Preston on April 14, while on April 28 another special train will leave Minehead for an excursion to York.
“Meanwhile we continue to operate our own services between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead and our evening programme of catering specials starts with a cancer charity fund-raising fish and chip special on May 5.”

• Our photograph (top) is by Alan Meade, showing steam locomotive 850 ‘Lord Nelson’ entering Bishops Lydeard Station on a Kingfisher Railtours journey to Eastleigh from Minehead.
• Our photograph (bottom) is by Brian Garrett and shows the Class 47 diesel locomotive at the junction at Norton Fitzwarren on a Nenta Train Tours trip from North Walsingham.

Spring gala is huge success for heritage railway

THE West Somerset Railway’s six-day Spring Steam Gala event was another highly successful ‘launch’ to the main season for the award-winning heritage line.
Passengers flocked over two weekends to travel behind an array of steam locomotives working an intensive train service between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard.
General manager Paul Conibeare said: “We had a very pleasing first weekend with over 3,000 people travelling over the two days, and the second weekend also saw good levels of business.
“The sunshine on the second Saturday brought out both the enthusiasts and the general public and we had one of our busiest days ever.
“We were also pleased to welcome 395 visitors who travelled on an excursion train from Sheffield and had an enjoyable afternoon either on the railway or in Minehead.
“It will take us a couple of days to finally ratify the passenger figures for the gala as a whole, but we are delighted with the results.”
Apart from the line-up pf historic engines, which included seven ‘guests’ hired-in especially for the gala, there were plenty of other factors which brought the visitors to the railway and the surrounding area.
Amongs them was a Virgin Trains ‘Voyager’ which ran a shuttle service between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard, while a free vintage bus service also linked Dunster Station with the village and its castle.
Artist Alan Ward put on an exhibition of his work at Bishops Lydeard, and four new railway books were on sale for the first time, including ‘Return Ticket To Minehead’.
Taunton Model Railway Group also opened its clubroom to visitors, and there were special openings of the locosheds and workshops at Williton and Minehead.
Mr Conibeare paid tribute to the WSR workforce: “Our volunteers and staff put in a lot of hard work in the three months leading up to the gala and during the actual operating days the first workers are on duty at 4 am and the last make their way home around 10 pm.
“It is rewarding to see their efforts producing such satisfactory results for the railway.”

• Our photographs show (top) a steam train preparing to depart Bishops Lydeard and (bottom) a Virgin Voyager alongside Great Western pannier tank number 6412, the first working Great Western steam locomotive purchased by the West Somerset Railway Association. Photos submitted.

Long service award for three decades with heritage railway

TWO servants of the West Somerset Railway present on the day the heritage line reopened on March 28, 1976, are returning for duty at Minehead Station more than 30 years later on March 28 this year.
Don Spencer was on duty in Blue Anchor signal box on the opening day, and on March 28 this year he will be receiving a long-service award before the 10.15 train departs for Bishops Lydeard, running for 20 miles rather than the four which the very first train covered from Minehead to Blue Anchor, five years and two months after the branch line fell victim to Beeching’s ‘Axe’ and was closed.
He brought a wealth of experience to the safe operation of the train services and has since trained many volunteer signalmen who have served the WSR well down the years.
The 10.15 train will be headed by Great Western pannier tank number 6412 (pictured), the first working Great Western steam locomotive purchased by the West Somerset Railway Association.
The 6412 is a ‘Pannier Tank’ of a type which worked lightly loaded branch lines and suburban trains until the 1960s.
It was a mainstay of the WSR into the late 1980s, but as numbers of passengers on the West Somerset have grown, peak-season trains are now too heavy for it to haul.
However, it does its share of work in the early and late seasons, is often hired out to other steam lines for the summer, and has been a popular engine for the railway’s footplate experience courses, giving enthusiasts an opportunity to learn something of the driving and firing skills involved in handling steam engines.
Another regular duty for the engine is the ‘Quantock Belle’ dining train.
Railway general manager Paul Conibeare said: “After the hectic weekends of our Spring Steam Galas which bring thousands of visitors to West Somerset and Taunton Deane it will be good to look back on how the WSR adventure began over three decades ago and to mark Don’s pioneering contribution.
“We also will have time to reflect on the other early volunteers, some of whom are still contributing now and some of whom have passed on.
“Without them and the machines they have lovingly worked on and cared for there would be no West Somerset Railway today.”
Photo contributed.

Gala weekend steams to early success for heritage railway

THE first weekend of the West Somerset Railway’s Spring Steam Gala saw 3,295 passengers riding on the trains over the 20 miles of line between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, making it a huge success. A dozen steam locomotives were in action, ranging from the small tank engine ‘Kilmersdon’ shunting at Washford Station to mighty express locomotives, including 34007 ‘Wadebridge’ and Great Western ‘Castle’ class 5051 ‘Earl Bathurst’.
Four new books were launched at the gala, including a collection of memories of the Minehead line pre-1971 titled ‘Return Ticket To Minehead’, a volume of cartoons by railway artist Alan Ward, who had a temporary gallery at Bishops Lydeard Station, and new editions of the West Somerset Railway’s own ‘Stock Book’ and ‘Stations and Buildings Book’.
These helped to make sure that the shops along the line had a busy time and many travellers also took advantage of the buffet and catering facilities on offer, including the railway’s new buffet coach at Minehead.
Many visitors travelled to the gala by the free bus service operating to Bishops Lydeard from Taunton Railway Station and the park and ride car park at Silk Mills, while others used the Virgin Voyager train shuttle rail service.
The WSR also ran a free vintage bus service between Dunster Station and Dunster village.
West Somerset Railway general manager Paul Conibeare said: “Our 2006 Spring Gala marked the passing of the much-loved Somerset and Dorset line and set records that we thought we might struggle to match.
“So, to find ourselves with what is shaping up to be an even more successful event is very pleasing and a great reward for all the volunteers and staff who put so much effort into making the galas attractive for both enthusiasts and the public.”
The gala continues on Thursday, March 22, through to Sunday, March 25, the Thursday and Friday being ‘quieter' days without the Virgin Train or the Dunster Bus links, and operating and ‘only’ nine trains each way rather than the 14 which run on the Saturday and Sunday.
Fuller details can be obtained by telephoning 01643 704996 or visiting www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk.
Photos submitted.