Celia at Stanton Drew

 If you visit this area and you like stone circles then be sure to visit Stanton Drew. It is between Bath and Bristol. Have a pint in the beer garden of the Druid's Arms pub and see the Cove. We experienced a weird noise by it.

1931 ENGLAND: LEISURE: Hobby Horse Parade - Minehead

 Inspired by Old Somerset Customs book. Minehead Hobby Horse - Wikipedia

Old Somerset Customs Muriel Walker

 

Susan picked this book up for me - 50p. I was surprised to see one that I had taken part in being included. Whit Monday in Frome there was a parade of children from the churches with banners and bands and at the end of it got a special bun. I remember this. I was forced to go to Sunday school etc. so these type of activities were run of the mill. A good book. Lots of useful info.

Somerset Mobile Library 1967

 

The Yatton daemoniac

 Susan got this book Bloody British History; Somerset and it had this story in it. 

George Lukins - Wikipedia

George Lukins, also known as the Yatton daemoniac,^[1][2][3] was a tailor infamous for his alleged demonic possession and the subsequent exorcism that occurred in 1788 when he was aged 44;^[4] his case occasioned great controversy in England.^[5][6][7][8]

Westland Whirlwind

 Westland Whirlwind (fighter) - Wikipedia

This was Yeovil's fighter until the Spitfire production. Sue's Dad worked at Westlands in the 60s. He had been in the RAF in the 50s. He did his apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce. Susan just told me he worked mainly on ejector seats.

Yeovil in the War

 When the Supermarine factory in Southampton was destroyed by bombing Spitfire production moved to Westlands in Yeovil. Yeovil built more Spitfires that anywhere else during the war. However this made Yeovil a target for air raids and there were 49 fatalities and thousands of houses were damaged but the factory remained unscathed.

Mendip Lead Mining

Lead mining has been done on the Mendips. It was mined before the Romans came but Roman mining was more intense. 

Roman lead mines at Charterhouse, Somerset

Mining in the Mendips

Deer Leap by Bob Bruton Photography

 This is a spot on the Mendips overlooking Somerset. Near Priddy. Called deer leap as there was a ditch there to prevent deer leaving the Royal Forest. There are two standing stones nearby.

Somerset the Millennium book

 A great cover image of harvesting by W.W. Wheatley 1843. 

Wells Cathedral Etc. (1939)

 A great little city. England's smallest. 

Thatchers Cider Open Day 2017

 I guess Thatchers are one of the most famous brands in Somerset. Here is their open day. We went to one maybe this one but it was a fun day out. 

City of Wells 1974

 For Somerset day. I worked there for a while. It's about 11 miles away across the Mendips. 

A community at War - the Civil War in Bath and North Somerset

 by John Wroughton

This book I ordered from the library. On Bath and surrounding area in the Civil War. Lots about 17th century Bath and there are a few pages on mining. Stratton and Timsbury were mining - the quote comes from a surveyors report on Timsbury. 1610.

Happy Somerset Day

 

Beltane sunrise on Glastonbury Tor. by WIXXY Photography

 WIXXY Photography | Facebook

Maypole dancing at Wookey 1910

 Wookey - Wikipedia

Dave Clark Five When 1965

 This beautiful song is side B of the single Having A Wild Weekend.

From the film Catch Us If You Can (film) - Wikipedia. I am fairly sure this was filmed on the Mendips. Note dry-stone walls. They were based in Bath while making the film.

Sue's Allotment

 

Ronald Lampitt 1958 'October'

It's nearly 10 years since she got her allotment. An allotment is a strip of land you agree to cultivate paying an annual fee to the local council. It's not expensive but ones at Bath are quite pricey. Susan is mostly growing strawberries, blackcurrants and shallots for our pickled onions. There is a committee and an AGM but it is pretty straightforward. If you don't tend your plot you might get warned and bumped off. When we first moved to Radstock we had one that was administered by the Church. I think it is a school now. She enjoys it immensely and during lockdown found it very useful exercise.

Pretenders Theme. HTV 1972 Kids show

 This show was a big influence on me. Mentioned Frome in the first episode. I had the novelization which at the time was like owning the video.