By Harry Mottram: Here is a quick round up of some of the stories associated with the town – and I have included some notes for new residents on the Lidl and Cheddar Reservoir 2 developments.
Axbridge Town Council Grants
The town’s council at a meeting in March have earmarked grants to two local groups. Axe Vale Arts has been paid £5,000 while Axbridge Blackberry Carnival will receive £800 to help stage the annual event in September. Axe Vale Arts is the new name for the former Methodist Chapel in West Street and has been run by volunteers for the last 12 months – and their steering committee hopes to be able to either take a long term lease from the church authorities or to buy the building. They have run a number of events there – details on their website and on the Axbridge diary at https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/diary/
The carnival is a free community event that takes place at the same time as the fun fair in the Square and attracts thousands of visitors to the town. The procession is in the afternoon of the Saturday – while the fun fair is on from Thursday and all packed up by Sunday. See https://www.facebook.com/AxbridgeBlackberryCarnival/
Boxing Day Hunt
The Government have pledged to outlaw fox hunting during the current parliament following widespread abuses by hunt groups who are supposed to only use trails and not allow their dogs or hounds to be out of control. The latest court case against the practice involves a member of the Weston and Banwell Hunt who traditionally meet in Axbridge on Boxing Day. In recent years opposition to the group has grown and it has become a hot topic with demonstrations against the hunt. The police reported: “A 48-year-old man has been fined for hunting a wild animal with dogs. Wayne Gregory, of Huish Champflower, pleaded guilty under the Hunting Act 2004 during a hearing at Taunton Magistrates’ Court today (Monday 20 April). The result comes after a six-month-long police investigation into an incident in which dogs were not called off from hunting a fox during a Vale of Taunton and Banwell Harriers hunt event in November last year. Gregory was fined £250 and was ordered to pay £185 in costs. Two men charged alongside Gregory – Ross Cordery, aged 45 from Highbridge, and James Parish, aged 31 from Uffcume – have since had their cases discontinued.”
MP Tessa Munt and DJ Andy Kershaw
For many of us of a certain age it was a great sadness to hear that former Radio One DJ and reporter Andy Kershaw had died this spring. He was one of a generation of BBC DJs who helped to shape the music tastes of the Baby Boomers and those who followed in the 1990s and 2000s. The only reason I mention the late DJ is the strange link to our MP Tessa Munt. She was pals with Andy and helped him out when he needed an address to be included on the electoral register some 20 years or so ago. Tessa had ousted the Tory MP David Heathcote Emery in the 2010 election after he came undone over the expenses scandal by claiming tax payers cash for his garden. But his supporters in the Daily Mail were keen to take revenge against Lib Dem Mrs Munt for ending a long line of Conservative representatives for this area. Their claim was she was sharing her home with Andy Kershaw while claiming the local council discount for living alone – which after a Sedgemoor District Council enquiry turned out to be false. Mr Kershaw was living in the Isle of Man but wanted to register to vote which he did at his pal’s home in Somerset which is entirely legal. She said at the time she hadn’t seen him in years and he didn’t live with her. The non-story may have damaged her at the time but it was the national swing to David Camerson’s Conservative revival in 2015 and his austerity plans which did. Tessa lost to James Heappey of the Conservatives at the next election but eventually returned to the House of Commons in 2024 winning back the seat for the Lib Dems. As I said, it was a strange link and a non-story with our current MP to the late DJ and World Music advocate Andy Kershaw who has died. But life can be strange at times – especially in politics.
Cheddar Reservoir 2
Those new to the town may not have been aware of two of the biggest stories to hit the area in years. The umbrella group for water utilities in this region the West Country Water and Environment are behind plans to build a new reservoir to the south of the current one next to Axbridge. Cheddar Res 2 is set to see work commence next year or in 2028 with the operation completed around 2030 or so. In Taunton last week there was a talk on the project by water and reservoir experts, Julian Welbank and Martin Wood to explain to engineers why the reservoir was being constructed and to give the context of water resilience. The project includes a new water treatment centre at Axbridge, a new road for construction traffic, a pipe line to Devon and the reservoir itself – about the same size as the one built in the 1930s and one of the favourite places for a walk by locals.
Lidl
The other major project are the plans for a new supermarket on Upper New Road in Cheddar – close to Axbridge. The new grocery store is yet to get planning consent and is unlikely if given the green light to be ready to open this year – but you never know. The site is near to the allotments and the so-called Magic Roundabout and petrol station at the top of the road (the MFG Service Station and shop) where there is an intersection with the A371 Shute Shelve to Wells Road, Shipham Hill Road, and Axbridge Road – the one to Tweentown. It all adds up to more congestion on what can be a highly congested road at the rush hour as Bristol Water have indicated construction traffic for the new reservoir will also be using the A371. The utility firm plan on a new road down to the current reservoir from near the former yogurt factory now being redeveloped for housing – close to Cheddar Woods resort – meaning rather a lot of road works are set to take place along the road that links Axbridge to Cheddar.
Football
And finally some brilliant news about the next generation of young Axbridge lads. This is a report on Facebook from Andy Corp of the achievements of the Axbridge Saxon Junior Football Club this season: “Emotional post alert! 11 years ago Leon Denz Parsons talked Mark Beardsley and me into starting a junior team for Axbridge Saxon Junior Football Club – I think Leon’s words were “do it for a season and see how it goes”. Today that team won the league with 2 games to spare. The boys have team spirit and will to win in buckets. I’d love to say nothing makes me prouder than seeing the boys doing litter picking in Axbridge or selling poppies on Remembrance Day, but after seasons of finishing bottom (table and red cards), painting lines, digging balls out of brambles, hundreds of parent driving miles – winning the league feels pretty good The eleven year plan paid off. Massive respect to Tim Jeacock, Arkadiusz Wilkutowski, Lofty, Neil, Craig and Andrew Hulbert for coaching through freezing rain and failing floodlights. The parents who have been there all the way. But above all praise to Cath Frith and Lucy Heard who kept the team going when the easiest thing was to call it quits. Teamwork makes the dream work. Go Saxons. Axbridge – look out for the open top bus tour trophy parade.”
The Axbridge Saxons were founded in the late 1990s with a fund raising match on the Furlong between the Mayor’s XI and the PTA dads of the school. Since then Axbridge has created several teams including ones for girls, juniors, veterans and Axbridge United FC – the senior team.
Axbridge News: Harry Mottram
Note: I get asked this frequently so just to repeat I write up these stories from time to time out of personal interest – all the information is in the public domain – I put it together, so it makes sense to me. I am not paid – my main job is covering Bath for Bath Voice News and ICSM of Bridgwater which is about business insolvencies. I have lived in Old Church Road for over 25 years and am married to Linda – our four children went to the local state schools. I’ve always taken an interest in local affairs having worked as a journalist in Somerset for many years.
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Axbridge Diary of Events
Some Axbridge dates coming up. Send Axbridge events to me and I’ll try to keep the list updated. Email: harryfmottram@gmail.com I’ll also post on my website at www.harrymottram.co.uk
Visit: https://www.harrymottram.co.uk/diary/
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