Roofing firm wins first Quaywest business awards

THE winner of the first Quaywest Business Awards, as voted for by listeners of West Somerset’s only commercial radio station, was Chapel Roofing and Building Services Ltd, of Carhampton.
The station received nearly 2,000 valid votes for the awards, which attracted 27 entries from all over West Somerset.
The award was presented to Jason and Emma Cobbett, of Chapel Roofing, at a special presentation evening held in Minehead Football Club, when local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger was the guest of honour.
The presentation evening was also one of West Somerset’s largest networking events for local businesses.
The occasion was compered by Quaywest presenter Drew Haddon, and a charity auction was conducted by auctioneer John Addicott which raised several hundreds of pounds to be shared between the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Devon and Somerset Air Ambulance, and the Somerset Fire Service benevolent fund.
Everybody who registered a vote for their favourite local business was entered into a draw to win a murder mystery evening with the West Somerset Railway, while guests on the night were in with a chance of winning a meal for two in Reeves Restaurant, in Dunster.
As well as the Quaywest award, Jason and Emma Cobbett also received a 30-inch plasma screen Panasonic television, a month’s free advertising on the radio station, and a year’s advertising on the boarding around Minehead’s football pitch.
Other businesses which entered the awards were Aquasplash Leisure Centre, Webberbus, The Lighting Company, Minehead Computer Services, Stuart Lowen quality butcher, Natalie Poat travel counsellor, Ekos Kitchens, Dunkery Beacon Hotel, Penny Pine Ltd, Glenmore Café, Blondies, Chives delicatessen, Alan Harman Car Sales, Morris Carpets and Beds, Minehead Glass, Babys First, Corner House Stores, Willows Café and Gifts, Friday Print, West Somerset Motors, Trenz, The Shoe Centre, Cream, Blue Anchor Bay Garage, Cornerstone Projects, and Antlers Pet Supplies.
Quaywest sales executive Gerry Baxter told The Crier: “It was a brilliant night and enjoyed by everybody, including the senior management from our parent company Laser Broadcasting who attended.
“The awards help to support the businesses we have here in the Quaywest 102.4 and 100.8 fm catchment area and they give some recognition to those which do well and are highly regarded by their customers.”

• Our photograph shows (front) MP Ian Liddell-Grainger flanked by award winners Jason and Emma Cobbett, with (left to right) Stuart Linnell, of operations director of Laser Broadcasting, and Chapel House Roofing workers Karl Priddle and Chris Thorne, and (rear, left to right) Quaywest presenter Paul Green, sales staff Gerry Baxter, Berny McLoughlin, and James Taplin, and station manager Dave Englefield. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref TCP0059. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

McFly in call for cool youngsters to join in Shades Day

YOUNGSTERS in West Somerset are being encouraged by the hugely successful British band McFly to put on their sunglasses on Friday, June 29, and join them in supporting Guide Dogs’ Shades Day - the coolest fund-raising day of the year.
The band - Danny, Dougie, Tom, and Harry - recently took time out from promoting their new album ‘Motion In The Ocean – Tour Edition’, to put on their favourite sunglasses and chat about their support of Shades Day.
They also posed for a few photos with their four cute namesake guide dog puppies, whose progress they are following until they are qualified guide dogs.
McFly made an unannounced visit to Minehead in January, when they played two gigs especially for students at the West Somerset Community College after fan Amy Prole, aged 15, won a competition on BBC Radio 1.
Tom said: “One of the best things about the summer is being able to put on my shades and spend the day out in the sun having a laugh with my friends.
“Wearing sunglasses is really important as it helps to protect your eyes against harmful UV rays from the sun.
“So make sure you are looking cool on Shades Day in support Guide Dogs… we will be.”
McFly will be joining thousands of people all over the UK who will be putting on their sunglasses and helping to do two things:

• Increase awareness of the need for everybody to protect their eyes when outside during the day, by wearing their sunglasses
• Raise money to help Guide Dogs breed, train, and support the 4,600 guide dogs in the UK who bring vital independence and freedom to their visually impaired owners.

Research has shown that spending five or more hours outside every day in the summer during teens and early adult years increases the risk of long-term damage to the eyes.
Putting on sunglasses, a visor, or a hat helps to protect from harmful UV (ultraviolet) sunlight which can cause long-term eye damage.
Guide Dogs suggests that if people are outside during the day and the light is so bright that they have to squint or turn their head away from the sun, then they need to wear sunglasses - the best protection comes from those with yellow or amber lenses and have the CE mark.
McFly are supporting Shades Day, as well as following the training progress of their namesake puppies, as part of their role as ‘Guiding Stars’ for the charity.
As ‘Guiding Stars’, the band members will help the charity to educate young people about the important work of guide dogs.
For further information about Shades Day and how to become involved, visit www.shadesday.org.uk.
The latest news on McFly can be checked out online at http://www.mcflyofficial.com/.

• Our photograph shows (left to right) Dougie, Danny, Tom, and Harry with their namesake puppies. Photo submitted.

MBE for work to support charity and sport in West Somerset

A WEST Somerset man has been recognised for his community service with an award in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
An MBE goes to Ivan Jones (pictured), of Minehead, for his services to charity and sport in the district.
Mr Jones is currently the chairman of the Rotary Club of Minehead, and he is also a past-president of the rotary club, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary year.
As a Rotarian, Mr Jones helps to organise the annual Swimathon charity fund-raising event and also many other activities to support local good causes.
In sporting circles, Mr Jones is treasurer of Minehead Cricket Club, which has been enjoying great success on the playing field during recent years, and also secretary of the annual Beacon to Beach fun run which raises money for charities.
In business, he is well-known in the town for his men’s outfitters shop, Harvey Jones, in Park Street.
Orders of the British Empire were created 90 years ago by King George V during the First World War as a way to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and servicemen in support positions.
Today, they are usually awarded to civilians and Service personnel for public service or other distinctions, and have a military and a civil division.

Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref TCPIJ0013. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbmtp.co.uk.

Entertainments committee folds after new councillors refuse to serve

A CHEQUE for £50 has been presented to Home-Start West Somerset as a result of fund-raising by the former entertainments committee of Minehead Town Council.
It could be the last time such a donation is made to a local charity becaue newly-elected Independent councillors who have taken control of the town council have refused to serve on the committee.
The council has therefore had to abolish its entertainments committee, which previously organised events such as tea dances and children’s activities.
Home-Start West Somerset is a voluntary organisation which helps families at home with children under five-years-old by offering support, friendship, and practical assistance.
It aims to develop parenting skills and provide activities for young children and is a particularly valuable service in rural areas where isolation adds to other social difficulties.
Volunteers are always needed and anybody who might be interested in helping can contact Home-Start by telephoning 01643 707304.
It is holding its annual meeting in Alcombe Methodist Church at 10.30 am on Wednesday, July 11, when people will be welcome to attend to hear more about the charity and what it has achieved during the past year, followed by coffee and cakes.

• Our photograph shows Councillors Norman Hercock (left) and Dave Sanders with Home-Start West Somerset organiser Ros Owen. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M030002. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

Table top sale helping to stop Chinese moon bears cruelty

MOON Bear Rescue kicks off its next 12 months of fund-raising events in West Somerset with a table top sale in Holford Village Hall on Sunday, May 27.
All proceeds from the event go directly to help the Animals Asia Foundation free Chinese Moon bears from horrendous coffin cages on bear farms and to negotiate with the Chinese government to ban the cruel trade in bear bile.
The table top sale, which includes a teddy tombola, giant raffle, and refreshments, starts at 2 pm.
AAF says 7,000 moon bears farmed in China for their bile in the most horrendous conditions are relying on animal-friendly people all over the world to raise enough to help the charity achieve its ambitious goal of closing down the bear farms forever.
Jill Robinson, who founded AAF and is its chief executive, said next year’s Beijing Olympics could herald a new life for the farmed moon bears.
She and the AAF team have been working for the past 14 years toward the day when the Chinese legislate against bear bile farms and, she hoped perhaps the Beijing Olympics next summer could be the catalyst to make it all come true.
Moon Bear Rescue organizer Lee Gibbins said: “It is vital that AAF receive enough funding to continue its work right up to the opening day of the Olympics.
“AAF will continue liaising and negotiating with Chinese officials at all levels, fund-raising globally, and telling the true story about bear bile production to the Chinese people, a majority of whom do not know of the existence of bear farms, nor that bear bile in medicine can be replaced by synthetic and herbal alternatives - at least 54 different kinds - and are appalled when they discover the pitiful lives to which the animals are condemned.”
More information about the table top sale and other fund-raising events being held by Moon Bear Rescue, including an annual Quantock sponsored walk, and to find out about Jill Robinson’s UK Roadshow, telephone Lee Gibbins on 01278 741648, or AAF UK director Dave Neale on 07764 161981, or contact Animals Asia Foundation by email at info@animalsasia.org.
Photo submitted.

Unitary protest MP sells 'Somerset County Council' for charity

WEST Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (pictured) has sold off ‘Somerset County Council’ on eBay for charity.
A three-figure sum was raised by Mr Liddell-Grainger’s internet auction of the name
The stunt was organised to highlight opposition to the Liberal Democrat-run county council’s bid to become a unitary authority and take over all local government services in Somerset.
There was fierce bidding on eBay from across Britain and even abroad, with the reserve price exceeded in just two hours.
Mr Liddell-Grainger eventually accepted a private offer from a Bridgwater area man whose identity has not been revealed but whose initials were ‘DM’.
He said: “Every single penny will go to a local charity for the benefit of the people of Somerset.
“I do not own the name Somerset County Council, but now that the county council is determined to become a huge new unitary authority, this important piece of heritage could soon become redundant.
“So, I offered it on eBay on the strict condition that all the money raised would go to charity.”
Mr Liddell-Grainger said ‘DM’ shared his belief that the idea of scrapping Somerset County Council was ‘absolutely crazy’.
He said: “What will he get for his money? Just a name. But a name with a proud history that the current rulers of the county council seem quite happy to chuck on the scrapheap.”
Photo submitted.

Sir Ranulph conquers Eiger North Face for charity

EXMOOR-based explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who admits to suffering vertigo, has scaled the North Face of the Eiger after a five-day climb of one of the most difficult and dangerous mountains in the world.
The mountain in the Swiss Alps is 6,000 ft of mainly sheer rock face and ice, giving it a daunting reputation among the world’s climbers.
Sir Ranulph, aged 63, who lives near Exford, only took up climbing two years ago and has already also attempted to climb Mount Everest in a fund-raiser for the British Heart Foundation.
He undertook the Eiger challenge to raise £1.5 million for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Delivering Choice Programme.
He said: “This will revolutionise end-of-life care in the UK and aims to double the number of terminally ill people who can be cared for and die in their own homes.
“I have watched my nearest and dearest die of cancer and I understand the huge difference this choice can make.”
With Sir Ranulph on the Eiger Challenge were UK climber Kenton Cool and mountain photographer Ian Parnell.
They followed the classic route which was pioneered by members of a German-Austrian expedition who were the first to conquer the Eiger’s North Face in 1938.
On his MySpace blog, Sir Ranulph wrote: “It felt pretty good to reach the summit. We started yesterday with the Traverse of the Gods.
“Had I known that ‘it’ was part of the thing, and that it was, I won’t use a rude word, but ‘bloody’ difficult, I don’t think I would have done it. Not even for Marie Curie.
“I knew it was going to be a difficult climb. But I thought it would be more like the practise climbs I have been doing with Kenton around Chamonix and the Alps - just a more difficult version of that. Not the nightmarish thing that it actually was.
“So, much as I am very pleased that we succeeded in getting to the top, and I am really hoping for big money for our charity, to be honest it is more than I would have wanted to have taken on.
“I think I will have nightmares for a long time over the Traverse for the Gods. My policy of not looking down just was not possible. There was nowhere but down. I had to look down to find the next foothold because it is so totally vertical.”
Ian Parnell said he was particularly proud of Sir Ranulph’s achievement.
He said: “It is quite inspirational for somebody who, when he was first interested in the project two years or so ago, you would not call a climber in any way.
“For him to then do a route like the North Face of the Eiger, which by any climber’s reckoning is one of the big tough routes of the climbing world, it is impressive.”
Anybody who wants to support Sir Ranulph’s Eiger challenge can go to www.mariecurie.org.uk/eigerchallenge or http://www.justgiving.com/EigerChallenge.
His Myspace blog is at http://www.myspace.com/ranulphfiennes.
The Eiger Challenge was made possible by the following sponsors: HIGHSTONE Group Ltd, Motorola, Mountain Equipment, Grand Regina Hotel in Grindelwald, Swiss International Airlines, Switzerland Tourism, ARA (Artists Rifle Association), Europcar, Air Glaciers, Jungfrau Railways, The Met Office (UK), Meteotest, The Swiss Weather Bureau, Sutter Druck AG, and Grindelwald Tourismus.

Photo submitted.

Red Nose Day needs you on March 16

From the slopes of the Quantocks to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro

WEST Somerset publican Pam Middlemast (pictured) is in training to become fit enough for the biggest challenge of her life, travelling from the Quantock Hills to climb the world’s highest free-standing mountain, the 5,685m Mount Kilimanjaro.
Pam, who runs the Bicknoller Inn, will travel to Tanzania in June to join 30 other people taking part in the hike to raise money for Scope, the charity for people with cerebral palsy.
To ensure she is fit enough for the adventure, Pam is running three times a week, practising yoga, and has invested in a cross-trainer to help build her strength and stamina.
She said: “I look forward to the trek with some sense of trepidation, but also with much excitement. I am sure this promises to be an experience of a lifetime.”
Pam’s first challenge, however, is to raise sponsorship money, which she has been doing through a number of events at the Bicknoller Inn, including a sponsored head shave, a table top sale, and a jazz night with ‘Gentle Jazz’.
Her husband, Paul, has agreed to have his legs waxed in public, and her yoga teacher, Tria, will be running a yoga lesson in Bicknoller Village Hall and giving all the proceeds to the cause.
Pam will also be giving a talk on Friday, March 23, in the village hall, on her experience of conservation in the Seychelles, which will be accompanied by a finger buffet and drinks.
She said: “I would like to thank everybody who has given me their help and support in raising money, and welcome any new ideas as we still have some way to go, as I have pledged to raise £3,000 for Scope.”
The trek to the summit Mount Kilimanjaro will take six days, with the route taking in cultivated farmland, lush jungle, alpine meadow, and, finally, barren lunar landscape.
Pam said: “An average day’s walking will be about seven hours, with the most challenging day being the day we will reach the summit. This day will start shortly after midnight and entail 14 hours’ walking.
“I am taking this challenge very seriously and know that I will have to be very fit if I am to succeed.”
Pam would like to hear from anybody willing to make a donation or help in organising a fund-raising event.
Readers of The Crier can sponsor Pam by visiting her fund-raising website at www.justgiving.com/pamm and clicking on ‘sponsor me now’, or contact her via her email at pam@bicknollerinn.co.uk, or by telephone on 01984 656234.
More information on events run by Scope is available on 0800 019 1200 or from www.scope.org.uk/adventures/.

Photo submitted.

Pole success for Antarctica expedition

A BRITISH-led Antarctic expedition raising money for an Exmoor charity has celebrated making history by becoming the first people to reach the continent’s Pole of Inaccessibility without mechanical assistance.
The pole marks the centre of Antarctica and is the point on the continent furthest from any coast and was only previously reached by a Russian team in 1958, who took a year to make the journey using tracked snow vehicles.
The British team, called N2i, reached the pole after 49 days using only skis and kites to help pull themselves and their 18 stone/120 kg pulks (sledges) on the 1,100-mile journey in temperatures down to minus 52C.
They were approached to raise money for the Exmoor-based Calvert Trust by the trust’s council president, the Countess of Arran, who is a family friend of some of the explorers.
It is hoped they will raise £150,000, which will meet the cost of a new sports hall for the charity, which provides specially-adapted facilities to enable people with disabilities and of all ages to experience outdoor adventure activities.
On reaching the pole, the team was met by a giant bust of Lenin (pictured) which had been left by the Russians who set up a meteorological station before abandoning the base.
Team N2i comprises Henry Cookson, aged 31, Rory Sweet, aged 39, and Rupert Longsdon, aged 34, all from Gloucestershire, and guide Paul Landry, who is Canadian.
In a log entry sent from the pole, the team said: “It is hard to believe we not only travelled to the centre of a continent which easily envelops Australia, but with the vast majority of our 1,100-mile adventure being in temperatures averaging below -20 degrees Celsius and at an altitude over 3000m.
“What is even harder to get our heads around is the endurance of the human body.
“We are not superheroes, nor any different from the average person (well maybe a touch stubborn).
“We merely had the inclination and the right set of circumstances which enabled us to set out on our journey.
“The comfort of Western modern life does not seem set the human body the tasks of which it is potentially capable.
“What we do know, is that four people of very different physiques and personalities endured in those last 25 hours of travel temperatures consistently below -45 degrees C with 18 hours hard, solid kiting, covering 250 km at an altitude equivalent to over 4,200m (14,400 ft). It certainly does make one wonder…”
The expedition began at the start of December from Novo, and they have now been picked up by an aircraft to be taken to the Vostok research station - the location of the world’s lowest recorded temperature - from where they will travel to a Russian base on the coast, Molodezhnaya, and leave on a scientific ice-breaker called the Akademik Feodorov.
They will be taken to Cape Town, in South Africa, and expect to fly back to Britain early in February.
Further information about the expedition at http://www.teamn2i.com/ and about the Calvert Trust at www.calvert-trust.org.uk.

• The team photo above taken at the pole shows (left to right) Rory Sweet, Henry Cookson, Paul Landry, and Rupert Longsdon. Photos submitted.

Exmoor charity benefits from Antarctic expedition

AN Exmoor charity stands to benefit from £150,000 sponsorship which is being raised by a British expedition on the verge of making history by becoming the first people to reach Antarctica’s Pole of Inaccessibility without mechanical assistance.
The four men who make up Team N2i are currently about 150 miles from the pole, after trekking for 44 days and covering almost 1,000 miles.
They hope by the weekend to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility, which marks the centre of Antarctica and is the point on the continent furthest from any coast.
Team N2i comprises Henry Cookson, Rory Sweet, and Rupert Longsdon, from Gloucestershire, and guide Paul Landry, who is Canadian.
They are raising money for the charity because the Calvert Trust Council’s president, the Countess of Arran, is a family friend of Henry Cookson and Rory Sweet.
Rory told The Crier: “Lady Arran approached us about fund-raising six months ago and we liked what the trust was doing and thought it tied in quite well with what we were doing, ie extreme sports.
“We really like the idea of helping people with disabilities to participate in challenging outdoor sports.”
Henry said: “Most of us are fortunate enough to have to the opportunity to participate in sports and activities unaided - extreme or not.
“Unfortunately, for nine million people in the UK - that is one-in-seven people - this is not a realistic possibility.
“The Calvert Trust offers those with disabilities a chance to participate in a variety of adventure-driven outdoor activities that will help develop a sense of achievement that will carry through into their every day life.
“For us, this expedition, despite the hardships we will inevitably face, will be the adventure of a lifetime.
“It would be great to be able to facilitate giving something back and enable those not so capable a chance to experience a taste of their own individual adventure.”
The expedition began at the start of December from Novo, on the coast, and they are using only skis and kites to pull special sledges known as pulks, which weigh 18 stone (120 kg).
They have had to face wind chills lower than -50C (-58F) while working at altitudes of 12,500 feet.
The only other people to reach the pole was a Russian team using tracked snow vehicles in 1958, who set up meteorological observation equipment and left a bust of Lenin before abandoning the outpost.
The Calvert Trust runs a 40-acre outdoor activity centre on the edge of Exmoor for people with disabilities.
Its specially-adapted facilities aim to challenge disability through outdoor adventure and enable people of all ages and with all types of disability to benefit from the ‘Calvert Experience’, an opportunity which leads to real personal achievement.
Activities such as horse riding, carriage driving, abseiling, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, archery, and orienteering are offered, together with caring qualified staff to ensure visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Team N2i's fund-raising target of £150,000 will cover the cost of a new sports hall development for the charity.
Further information about the expedition at http://www.teamn2i.com/ and about the Calvert Trust at http://www.calvert-trust.org.uk/.
Photos submitted.

CLOWNS auctions London International Horse Show tickets

TWO pairs of London International Horse Show tickets are being auctioned on eBay to raise money for West Somerset children’s charity CLOWNS.
The seats are within the Members’ Enclosure at Olympia and are for the 1 pm afternoon performance on Saturday, December 16.
The tickets have been donated by Tim Pilcher, chief operation officer of Clarion Events Ltd, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, via The Crier’s photographer Mark Stothard and his wife Sarah.
Money raised from the auction will go toward a fund to replace the CLOWNS blue play bus, which tours West Somerset to take play opportunities and health education opportunities to isolated communities.
The two eBay auctions can be found using the following links: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330061439653 and http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330061437077.
This year’s London International Horse Show features the Dressage Quadrille of the Hanoverian State Stud, a display by some of the most stunning Hanoverian stallions in the world.
The immaculate horses perform with amazing accuracy half-passes, flying changes, and other dressage staples, all set to beautiful music.
There is also the Metropolitan Police Activity Ride, which is a fast-moving display demonstrating high levels of skill and agility from both horses and officers.
Inch perfect timing, total commitment, professionalism, and complete trust is required for this ride, which demonstrates the abilities of a working police horse.
Visitors to the London International Horse Show can spend a whole day at Olympia, as the doors open at 9.30 am for afternoon performance and people can spend the morning browsing the shops or watching some of the morning events in the main arena before the performance starts at 1 pm.

Steam train footplate pass eBay auction for charity

A RARE opportunity to ride on the footplate of a West Somerset Railway steam train is being offered in an internet auction for charity.
The eBay auction, which will start on December 1 and run for 10 days, could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for somebody not already connected with the railway.
Photographer Mark Stothard, of Timberscombe, is auctioning the WSR footplate pass to try to raise at least £1,000 for West Somerset charity CLOWNS.
Mr Stothard said: “My family are indebted to CLOWNS for the help they gave my daughter Kyla when she was little and I want to do all I can to support them.
“I am a steam train enthusiast and when I heard how CLOWNS was losing a lot of grant money from local councils and would struggle to continue delivering their services, I came up with this fund-raising idea.
“As I understand it, these passes hardly ever go outside the confines of the WSR and their staff and volunteer members, so this really could be somebody’s chance of a lifetime to experience riding on a steam engine footplate.”
Mr Stothard approached WSR general manager Paul Conibeare, who agreed to donate the footplate pass for the auction.
Mr Conibeare said: “I was very pleased to be able to support CLOWNS like this when Mark came up with the auction suggestion.
“We all know what terrific and valuable work CLOWNS does with needy young families in communities right across West Somerset.”
CLOWNS co-ordinator Kathy Morton said: “We are facing a real funding gap due to Government cut backs and we need all the help we can get
“Mark’s offer to organise the auction was very welcome and we will put the money it brings in towards continuing our services, which we know are welcomed and valued by the people we help.”
The eBay auction item can be found by following this link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330057216930

• Our photograph taken on a WSR steam engine shows Kyla Stothard with Kathy Morton and Paul Conibeare. Photograph by Mark the Photographer, ref M1117008. Order photo reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.