The Social Democratic Party, seemingly a patriotic party with a social conscience believing in a nation-state independent of the EU.

I just came across the Social Democratic Party website and had a look at their policy pages.  Among the policies listed the call for an English Parliament caught my eye.  On the same “Constitution” page was advocated the abolition of the House of Lords, proportional representation and a statement saying “No public sector employee should be paid more than the Prime Minister”.  Any English patriot should be delighted with such policies!


Reading further I was delighted to find that on animal welfare the SDP calls for a ban on non-stun slaughter “as requested by the British Veterinary Association and the RSPCA”.


The SDP advocate a cap on net AND gross immigration while current arbitrary spending on Foreign Aid would be scrapped - a common sense approach to both issues.


On land the railways would be re-nationalised and funding for regional and rural bus travel would be increased.  Meanwhile at sea the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers appear to have top priority with regard to defence spending.


The Social Democratic Party seem to me to be a patriotic community-centric party with a social conscience which believes not in nationalism, but nationhood with the nation state being independent of the European Union.


I will seriously consider voting for them if given the chance, and if I was not too old I might even be tempted to join them!

A pleasant stroll around the South Somerset village of Cricket Malherbie and its Church of St. Mary Magdalene.

On the minor road which takes you south out of the Somerset market town of Ilminster, between the hamlets of Sea and Dowlish Ford, is a signpost directing the traveller to Cricket Malherbie.  Follow the sign up the narrow gently climbing lane, keeping an eye open for tractors and other vehicles, especially on the sharp bends, and you will find the road widens as you approach Cricket Malherbie’s parish church of St. Mary Magdalene.  This charmingly named village is not much bigger than a hamlet.  Its cottages, some thatched, are dotted around the church and Cricket Court – the manor house.  There is ample room to park beside the church, and it is well worth stopping to have a wander round to enjoy the quiet and the scenery.


My wife and I wandered up past the gates to Cricket Court to the next crossroads before retracing our steps.  We caught a glimpse of the manor house and its drive from the road, but as it is private property we obviously made no attempt at a closer look.  Just past Beaverbrook Barn we stopped at a gate to enjoy the wonderful views toward the Blackdown Hills and the more distant Quantocks.  All in all, a very pleasant stroll!

The view from Cricket Malerhbie toward Ilminster and Beacon Hill.

The view from Cricket Malherbie toward Herne Hill south of Ilminster.

The view from the South Somerset village of Cricket Malherbie toward the Blackdown Hills,

A view from Cricket Malherbie in South Somerset with the Quantock Hills on the horizon.

Some history.

Kelly’s Directory of Somerset (1914) informs us that Cricket Malherbie: “is a parish and village 2 miles south of Ilminster and 3 miles north-east of Chard.  Cricket Court, a mansion of stone, is prettily situated, and surrounded by well-timbered grounds: it is the property of Major Thomas Morton Stanhope Pitt, who is lord of the manor and chief landowner.  The soil is flint and gravel; the subsoil clay.  The crops are wheat barley and oats, and there is some pasture.  The area is 461 acres, rateable value £536; population in 1911, 38.”


Cricket Court has links to both world wars.  In the First World War Thomas Morton Stanhope Pitt, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and later Brigadier General, commanded the 5th (Yeomanry) Mounted Brigade and the 6th Mounted Brigade between 1 December 1915 and 28 September 1917.  He led them in the Sinai and Palestine Campaigns.


In the Second World War Cricket Court was owned by Lord Beaverbrook, one of Churchill’s ministers.  In 1944 Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower met there, as guests of Beaverbrook, to discuss the D-Day landings.


Cricket Malherbie’s Church of St. Mary Magdalene was rebuilt in 1855 at a cost of about £4,500.  Arthur Mee in his The Kings England – Somerset (Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1968) writes of the church: “It is a handsome building with a little spire, fine gable crosses, and a beautiful pierced parapet of flowing design.”

 “Kelly’s Directory of Somerset (1914) tells us: “The living is a rectory, net yearly value £55, with residence and 25 acres of glebe, in the gift of Major T.M.S. Pitt.” 


Exploring the churchyard.

While exploring the churchyard we came across a charming railed memorial stone commemorating Geoffrey Fawsitt Taylor (1902 to 1982) who was born in Waverly, New South Wales, Australia.  The inscription reads: “INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE ~ PROFFESSOR OF MEDICINE LAHORE UNIVERSITY ~ CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN 14th ARMY BURMA ~ ALL THAT COULD DIE OF HIM LIES HERE IN THE PLACE HE LIVED FOR 37 YEARS.

He stood in general elections, unsuccessfully, a number of times in the 1950s, 60s and 70s as candidate for the Liberal Party in the Yeovil Parliamentary Constituency.   


There is also the imposing grave of Captain Francis Philip Egerton RN. (b.23 September 1812  d.2.March 1893), an officer who served at sea in the early-Victorian era.    

He was aboard HMS VANGUARD (78guns) and HMS CALCUTTA (84 guns) in the Mediterranean before serving in the East Indies aboard HMS AGINCOURT (74guns).  After his time in HMS AGINCOURT he remained in the East Indies and was in command of HMS HAZARD, a 431 ton wooden sloop of 18 guns, between August 1844 and May 1847.

He retired from the Royal Navy on 1 July 1864.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the South Somerset village of Cricket Malherbie.

The spire of St. Mary Magdalene in Cricket Malherbie, South Somerset.

Parliamentarians flummoxed by the possibility of a post-Brexit traffic jam at the Port of Dover.

I had a letter published in the Western Daily Press on September 19th.  The editor gave it a rather odd title, but otherwise it was un-edited.

Brexit needs help of our world war heroes.


After over two years of slaughter World War One had reached a stalemate when David Lloyd George became Prime Minister in December 1916.  With ministers of the calibre of Winston Churchill, Arthur Balfour, Andrew Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin serving in his Coalition Government he refocused the nation’s efforts and set Britain on the road to a victory achieved less than two years later. 

Today, nearly three and a half years after the people voted for Brexit, with modern communications and other technologies Lloyd George and his Government could not have dreamed of, our politicians seem totally flummoxed by the possibility of having to deal with a post-Brexit traffic jam at the Port of Dover. 

Thank goodness none of our present crop of shallow parliamentarians was in office when this country was involved in a World War.

S.W.
Ilminster, Somerset.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Taunton, Somerset. Described as having: "the noblest parish tower in England."

In Simon Jenkins’ England’s Thousand Best Churches (Penguin Books, 2000) the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Taunton, Somerset is described as having: “the noblest parish tower in England.” 

On a recent visit to the centre of Taunton I took some photos of St. Mary’s tower and south porch.  It was a fine day and I was pleased with the results.

The tower of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Taunton, Somerset.

The south porch of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Taunton, Somerset.

After 46 years in the European Union the United Kingdom is no longer a bastion of democracy.

My  letter in the Western Daily Press September 16th.

UK no longer a bastion of democracy.


What nation has a Parliament which refuses to uphold a referendum result, does not allow a General Election, passes a law which could see a Prime Minister sent to prison, and votes to intercept the private communications of political staff? 

Communist China or perhaps Putin’s Russia?  Maybe a failed Third World state or a despotic Middle Eastern regime?


No - the United Kingdom.  It is obviously no longer a shining example of democracy or a bastion of personal privacy.  Being a member of the European Union for 46 years has brought the nation to this.

S.W.
Ilminster. 

Update 29 September. 

Apparently this letter also appeared in the Bath Chronicle on September 19.

The EU Referendum, Brexit and the broken promises of Labour and Conservative politicians.

After some considerable time I have resumed writing letters to the press.  I had the one below published in the Western Daily Press today, September 12th.

Promise not worth paper it's written on.

It’s now over three years since people voted to leave the European Union, and over two years since a General Election in which both the Labour and Conservative parties pledged that they would uphold the 2016 referendum.  Events have proved that party manifestos and leaflets containing such promises were not worth the paper they were written on.
With the Battle of Britain Day approaching perhaps I might take the liberty of saying, in the style of Churchill: “Never in the field of democratic politics have so many been deceived by so few”.  

S.W. 
Ilminster, Somerset

Invading Martian war machines, or floodlights at the County Ground, Taunton, Somerset?

I recently had reason to visit the centre of Taunton in Somerset.  Having left the car in the Duke Street car park I walked toward North Street, as I did so I noticed the floodlights at The County Ground towering over the rooftops.  The thought struck me that these monstrosities looked like invading Martian war machines out of War of The Worlds.  It seemed as if they were surrounding their prey and about to let loose their death rays!


Be that as it may, what a blot on the Taunton skyline!

One of the floodlight arrays at The County Ground, Taunton, Somerset.