100th Anniversary of the railway accident at Bere Ferrers, in the neighbouring county of Devonshire, which caused the death of 10 soldiers from New Zealand.

100 years ago this month, on September 24th, 10 soldiers from New Zealand were killed in a tragic accident at the railway station in the village of Bere Ferrers in Devonshire.

I came across the memorial to these New Zealanders when my wife and I drove to Devonshire to spend a day with our good friends Linda and Charles who were staying in a holiday cottage on the banks of the River Tamar near the village of Bere Alston.

Charles drove us over to Bere Ferrers where we all enjoyed a fine lunch at The Old Plough Inn.  Afterward we had stroll along the bank of the River Tavy, then a walk around the centre of the village where the war memorial stands in a position of prominence. 

The memorial to the 10 New Zealand soldiers who were killed in the accident at Bere Ferrers station on 24th September 1917. 

The men killed were among reinforcements for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and were travelling to Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain.  The reinforcements had arrived in Plymouth on board the troopships ULIMAROA and NORMAN and were heading east by train.  On leaving Plymouth they were told the next stop would be at Exeter for food, but unfortunately the train made an unscheduled stop at Bere Ferrers.  Many of the New Zealanders assumed they had stopped at Exeter and consequently jumped off the train keen to find food. 

Tragically they were hit by the oncoming London to Plymouth express.  The driver of the express came around a bend in the track on the approach to Bere Ferrers station and saw the troops on the track.  Although he applied the brakes immediately it was too late to avoid disaster.  Ten New Zealanders died and are at rest in Efford Cemetery in Plymouth.

For more information about this tragedy here is a link:  

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/bere-ferrers-rail-accident

Rural crime rockets. We are at "tipping point" say Avon and Somerset Police Chiefs.

Last month the front page headline of the Western Daily Press (August 14) informed us that “Rural crime rockets” in Somerset and Gloucestershire.  Next I read Martin Hesp’s column (Western Daily Press, September 6) in which he reveals that one of his farming friends told him: “There seems to be a wave of rural crime going on . . .".  Now the Western Daily Press (September 19), reports that Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens and Chief Constable Andy Marsh warn that Avon and Somerset Police are at “tipping point” as a result of having 655 fewer officers than in 2010.  They say that resources cannot be stretched any further.

The reduction in manpower has gone hand in hand with the closure of rural police stations.  In such circumstances it is hardly surprising that rural crime has rocketed. 

In Ilminster the former police station is being converted into 7 apartments.  The building will be named, appropriately, Peel Court.  Regrettably there will no longer be any “peelers” on the premises. 

The former police station in Ilminster, South Somerset is being converted into 7 apartments.  The building will be named, appropriately, Peel Court.   

Robin Tilbrook, Chairman of the English Democrats, gives his view of "British values" in his speech at the party's annual conference.

Here is the section of Robin Tilbrook's speech which refers to the Conservative Government's view of "British values".

"The Government’s position is now that anybody who doesn’t subscribe to their definition of fundamental “British values” is automatically an extremist. So let’s examine what you have to sign up in order not to be an extremist according to the Gospel of Mrs May. Here is their definition of fundamental British values: -


The fundamental “British values” are: - of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”


Ladies and Gentlemen let us just go through this carefully with a lawyer’s eye to analysing the definition. Obviously by definition any English nationalist such as all of us here in this room will not subscribe to fundamental “British” values.


Ignoring the point that naturally if you were a Scottish nationalist or a Welsh nationalist in Scotland or Wales it wouldn’t be suggested that you should have to subscribe to British values, since they are allowed their own Nations! We are not!

But the definition of Theresa May’s so called “British values” goes further than that. This definition means that you couldn’t even be a biblically inspired Christian because you couldn’t subscribe to these fundamental British values if you believe what Christ says:- “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” then they define you as an “extremist”."

For the speech in full here is a link to Robin Tilbrook's blog:

http://robintilbrook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/my-speech-to-english-democrats.html

A visit to the County Ground to view Somerset beating Lancashire by 7 wickets.

Today I was able to visit, for the first time this year, the County Ground in Taunton to watch the end of a rain-interrupted match between Somerset and Lancashire.  The first three days of this County Championship match had been cold, wet and windy - not the best conditions for watching cricket. 

Sun and blue sky over the County Ground at Taunton for the final day's play between Somerset and Lancashire.

However, on the final day, in bright sunshine, Somerset wrapped up the match just after midday.  Craig Overton took the last two remaining Lancashire wickets then Somerset knocked off the runs required: George Bartlett and captain Tom Abell saw them home to a 7 wicket victory.

The end of the match. Tom Abell and George Bartlett see Somerset home to a seven wicket win over Lancashire.

'New £1.6 billion tunnel plan to bury the A303 at Stonehenge.' states the Western Daily Press front page.

The Western Daily Press front page headline on the 12th September announced the £1.6 billion plan to bury the A303 40 metres below ground in a 1.8 mile long tunnel at Stonehenge.

The WDP reported that The National Trust, Historic England and English Heritage said in a joint statement:
"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reunite this ancient landscape which is currently severed by a huge volume of road traffic.  We welcome the amended route and believe it can, if designed and located with the utmost care, deliver a lasting legacy for the world heritage site and restore peace and tranquillity to the Stonehenge landscape."

Roads minister Jesse Norman said it would provide an economic boost to the entire South West by improving traffic flow between London and the region.

I am not convinced it is worth spending £1.6 billion, the cost of 3 NHS hospitals, in order to cut 15 or 20 minutes off the journey times of those in London and the South East who wish to hurtle through Wiltshire and Somerset on their way to and from their holiday destinations in Devonshire and Cornwall.

Furthermore, it does not seem fair to deprive travellers on the A303 of a glimpse of England's most historic monument.

I had this brief letter, written only partly in jest, published in the Western Daily Press on the 14th September.

It may be cheaper to move Stonehenge!

The cost of building a 1.8 mile tunnel to bury the A303 out of sight of Stonehenge is reported to be an eye watering £1.6 billion – almost £1 billion per mile.  I wonder if it may be less expensive to dig up and move Stonehenge instead?

S.W., Ilminster. 

The RSPB's nature reserve at Swell Wood near Curry Rivel in South Somerset. A fine view over West Sedgemoor.

The RSPB’s Swell Wood nature reserve is a short drive west of Curry Rivel on the A378 in Somerset.  It is well signposted and its car park is amongst the trees only a few yards off the main road.  It is said by the RSPB to be Southwest England’s largest heronry, but although I have visited Swell Wood on several occasions I have yet to see a heron: I must be going there at the wrong time of year.

I have tried the reserve’s two trails and found the woodland walk the easiest with a fine view over West Sedgemoor to Burrow Mump with Brent Knoll, Crook Peak and The Mendips on the horizon.  The scarp trail, across the lane east of the car park, has some steep sections which are a very tricky and after wet weather they are even more demanding.  I found the views a bit restricted: you can’t see them for the trees!

The view from Swell Wood over West Sedgemoor towards Burrow Mump on 1st Feb. 2013. The floods would be worse in 2014.

The view from Swell Wood over West Sedgemoor towards Burrow Mump on 12th September 2017.

St.Mary's Church in the Somerset village of West Harptree and its memorial to two RAF servicemen.

I recently had cause to travel along the A368, cutting across the Chew Valley from the A37 at Chelwood Bridge, to the A38 at Churchill.  It’s a very pleasant undulating drive through the picturesque villages of Compton Martin, West Harptree, Blagdon and Rickford with the Mendip Hills to the south and Chew Valley Lake and its smaller neighbour Blagdon Lake to the north.

At West Harptree I decided to stop and have a stroll around with my camera.  Situated in the centre of the village and flanked by yew trees, St. Mary’s Church is very photogenic; it is one of the minority of Somerset churches which have a spire.  Pevsner describes the church as standing: “. . . at a corner full of interest in all directions.”  Just west from St. Mary’s is a charming Jacobean manor house while across the road is Gournay Court, a large early seventeenth century house built of red sandstone.  The mid seventeenth century Tilly Manor Farm sits adjacent to Gournay Court.  To the north-east of the church is the Vicarage with a  façade dating from around 1700.  The village pub, The Crown, sits opposite the church to the east.

A view of West Harptree in Somerset looking east from St. Mary's Church. 

Looking inside the south porch of St. Mary’s I came upon a memorial plaque to two RAF men killed in the Second World War.  One of them, Sgt H.D. King is lying at rest in a Commonwealth War Grave near the western wall of the churchyard.  I took some photos and decided to do some research when back at home.

St. Mary's Church, with its memorial clock, in the village of West Harptree, Somerset.

I discovered that both these young RAF men were members of specialist units.  Sgt Herbert Donald King was an Air Bomber (Bomb Aimer) serving with 138 Special Duties Squadron equipped with the Halifax flying from RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire, and was one of two Special Duties Squadrons.  The other was 161 Squadron.   The two squadrons flew in support of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) whose job it was to promote sabotage and subversive activities against the Germans.  Both squadrons flew all over Europe, from Norway in the north to Yugoslavia in the south and as far east as Poland.  Their missions were to parachute agents, arms and equipment into enemy occupied territory. 

On the night of 16/17 December 1943 Sgt King and seven others flew a mission to Carcassonne in the South of France to drop 12 containers and 5 packages to the resistance.  After a twelve hour flight they encountered severe weather conditions on their return to England and decided to land at Woodbridge in Suffolk.  Sadly their aircraft, Halifax Mk.5, LL115 NF-A, crashed into trees at Capel Green; three men survived, but Sgt King and four others of the crew were killed.  Aged 26 he was the son of Herbert Tyler King and Hilda Annie King of East Harptree.

LAC Alfred George Salvidge was serving with the RAF’s 5 Beach Unit in Italy.  Unfortunately he was killed in a road accident near Naples on 17 March 1944 and is buried in Naples War Cemetery.  Aged 24, he was the son of Alfred and Edith Salvidge of West Harptree.

I had never heard of RAF Beach Units but to quote Mike Fenton’s very informative website RAF Beach Units of the Second World War their role was: “To assist with the landing, assembly and onward despatch of RAF personnel, stores and equipment across the invasion beaches.” 

Both men are remembered.  The memorial plaque in St. Mary’s porch states:
“This memorial clock was erected in the tower of West Harptree Church by the parishioners to the glory of god and in perpetual memory of

Flt Sgt H.D. King RAFVR

LAC G.A. Salvidge RAF

who gave their lives for us in the cause of freedom during the Second World War 1939-1945 also in grateful recognition of those men and women who served from this parish in the armed and auxiliary services of the Crown.

Friend behold me here I stand, to tell the time at thy command, friend be wise and learn from me, to serve thy god as I serve thee.”*

*The CWG headstone in the churchyard is engraved with the rank of Sergeant.  In RAF records and on the CWG headstone in Naples LAC Salvidge’s initials are A.G.