Views from Westover Bridge over the River Parrett near Mucheleny in Somerset.

While out for an afternoon drive around The Levels south of Langport  in Somerset my wife and I stopped at a layby overlooking the River Parrett at Westover Bridge just outside Muchelney.

It was the last day of March, a beautiful sunny day of blue sky dotted with cloud, but a strong North wind made it bitterly cold.  Unsurprisingly not many people were out and about except some well wrapped dog-walkers enjoying the River Parrett Trail and the Macmillan Way Link, both of which follow the river bank.

I could see three churches from where we were parked.  To the north and north-east were the towers of All Saints at Langport and St. Mary’s at Huish Episcopi while a few hundred yards east was the tower of St. Peter and St. Paul at Muchelney.

I braved the bitter cold to take the photos below.  On another, warmer, day it would be nice to follow the footpaths alongside the river bank, but it was altogether a better day for driving rather than walking.

A view from Westover Bridge over the River Parrett near Muchelney in Somerset. The tower of All Saints Church, Langport can be seen just left of centre.

A view from Westover Bridge over the River Parrett near Muchelney in Somerset.  The tower St. Mary's Church at Huish Episcopi can be seen on the skyline to the left.

The tower of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Muchelney, Somerset viewed from the nearby Westover Bridge over the River Parrett.

Cloudscapes on a bitterly cold day in South Somerset.

I took some pleasing photos of cloudscapes through the treetops this afternoon, the last of March, on a day that was bitterly cold in South Somerset.

The first photo below was taken before a short sharp snow shower, the second one after it. 

Our so-called Conservative Government and its virtue signalling green policies. A critique by Chris Davies.

An article by Chris Davies, published on the Bruges Group Blog, illustrates our so-called Government’s hypocritical attitude with regard to its energy policies which are fixated upon obtaining Carbon Net Zero.

I reproduce a couple of paragraphs below.

“The UK government is keen to articulate its green credentials around the central metric of emitting less than 1% of global CO2. This is fallacious in all but name. By reducing domestic energy production to just over half of the country's needs, instead relying on imported gas, oil and coal, we have simply displaced where the CO2 is emitted whilst conveniently ignoring the additional CO2 created through transportation.”

Mr Davies notes the deficiencies in current policy and lists his eminently sensible and practical solutions.

“I recommend the government urgently reconsiders their position. In the short term:

• Remove 5% VAT on domestic energy bills;
• Abolish the 25% green energy subsidy embedded in all energy bills;
• Grant further licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea;
• Urgently review the feasibility of opening a new coal mine in Cumbria;
• Maintain the 3 remaining coal fired power stations in operation until there is no further need for them as a contingency source of energy;
• Stop the early decommissioning of existing nuclear power plants and return them to production;
• Remove the moratorium on fracking to deliver cheap gas, thousands of jobs and £ billions of GDP in the Blackpool area in short order;
• Utilise new British nuclear technology from Rolls Royce and others through capital investment and R&D tax incentives to commission the construction of mini plants around the coast line to ensure we have safe, cost effective nuclear energy as a significant part of our energy mix by 2035.”
  
  

Mr Davies had the article, entitled Time to Pivot to Domestic Energy, published on the Bruges Group Blog on 13 Feb.  Since then a lot has happened to make his views even more relevant.

Here is a link to the whole article.

Time to pivot for Domestic Energy - Bruges Group Blog

 

South Petherton an historic hamstone village in South Somerset.

The large village of South Petherton is just off the A303 around 5 miles east of Ilminster in South Somerset.  In 2011 the village had a population of 3,367, having increased from 2,781 at the time of the 1981 census; it will be interesting to see the figures from the 2021 census.

The information board near the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul tells us:

“Situated in fertile arable country, South Petherton stands above the River Parrett, near The Fosse Way.  It was granted a Market Charter by King John in 1213. 

Agriculture has always been the basis of the community although South Petherton was the site of an important mint in the eleventh century and of the Sturton bronze foundry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as being home to glove making and cider production.

The historic heart is cantered around the fifteenth century church and the market square.  There are fine old houses throughout South Petherton including Giles Daubeney’s  “King Ina’s Palace” with parts dating back to the fourteenth century, and “Hayes End Manor” dating from 1610.”

Of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul Pevsner writes: “The church lies at the highest point of the little town, a large spreading building crowned by a tall a and prominent crossing tower.” 

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in the South Somerset village of South Petherton.

The memorial in the churchyard to those who fell in World War One is approached up steps flanked by pillars on which there are memorial plaques to those lost in World War Two.

The War Memorials to those who fell in two World Wars in the churchyard of St. Peter and St. Paul in the South Somerset village of South Petherton.

Field Marshal Lord Harding*, a notable veteran and commander of the British Eighth Army, was born in South Petherton at Rock House in Palmer Street.

Rock House in Palmer Street, South Petherton. The birthplace of Field Marshal Lord Harding.

*Views from Somerset: Field-Marshal Lord Harding of Petherton. Commemorated at Taunton Castle's Museum of Somerset. (viewfromsomerset.blogspot.com)

Deep red cloudscape over The Blackdown Hills in Somerset.

It has been a very murky, drizzly day in South Somerset, but the evening sky produced a wonderfully picturesque deep red cloudscape. Today was March 3rd and, I reckon, the most notable sunset of the year so far.

Evening cloudscape over the Blackdown Hills in Somerset on March 3, 2022.

The Social Democratic Party – a campaign group or a political force?

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) appears to be enjoying a little bit of a resurgence.  William Clouston, its leader, has been invited on GBNews programmes, and, according to Twitter, the Party is attracting new members.  Furthermore, the SDP’s last annual conference in London had some high profile speakers among whom were David Starkey, Claire Fox, Patrick O’Flynn and Rod Little.

I would describe the Party as socially conservative, centre left on economics, and patriotic, with a right wing approach to immigration.  It’s the closest thing there is to a British Gaullist Party and its policies are those which I can support, especially that which proposes an English Parliament sitting somewhere other than London.  This last policy convinced me to become a member rather than just a sympathiser.

However, having responded to various emails I received from the SDP’s regional and county officials/co-ordinators asking for candidates in local elections I have not received an acknowledgement, let alone a reply, which is somewhat disappointing. I write this in sorrow rather than in anger.

After such an apparently unenthusiastic response one has to wonder if the Social Democratic Party is serious about re-establishing itself as an electoral force; or does it intend to be of influence as a campaign group with the impressive and personable William Clouston as its public face? 

Time will tell, but I wish them well!

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin in the South Somerset village of Whitelackington.

A mile or so east of Ilminster in South Somerset is the village of Whitelackington, its Church of St. Mary the Virgin being separated from the village by the Old London Road and nestles, alongside the Manor House, on rising ground to the south.

Both the church and manor house are built of Hamstone.  St. Mary’s is in the Perpendicular style with windows suggesting its origins date from the early fourteenth century.  The manor house is gabled and probably built in the sixteenth or seventeenth century.

I took the photo below from the eastern slopes of Beacon Hill on the northern fringe of Ilminster.  At this time of year the winter sunshine was able to shine through the branches of leafless trees and highlight the wonderful golden tones of the Hamstone buildings.

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, and the adjacent Manor House, in the South Somerset village of Whitelackington.