THE Exmoor Foxhounds supporter’s club annual clean-up has taken place in Simonsbath. People came together to clean various areas of the village, including village signs and the telephone box.

Litter picking collected from around the village demonstrates how clean and tidy the village has been the past year, as minimal bags of rubbish has been collected.

Thanks are passed onto the clean-up crew who attending and to the Exmoor Forest Hotel for allowing the use of their car park.

Volunteer litter pickers holding bags of collected rubbish from around the village is shown in the photograph.

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If you’re a lover of plants and growing them, you might want to attend Home Start West Somerset plant sale.

The annual event taking plant at Minehead Methodist Church which offers the public a chance to buy plants, they are appealing for donations ahead of the event on Saturday May 18.

The group is hositng its first flower arranging competition which has a special theme for young families to get involved.

The group is asking if you’re ‘green fingered’ and willing to grow, divide existing plants or can nurture cutting, to please contact them to donate any you can, you can also purchase plants to donate.

Plants that Home Start are looking to be donated range from vegetables, herbs, fruit plants, perennials, herbaceous or indoor plants.

The group also offers a collection service for your kind donations too.

The event organisers say they’re looking forward to this years plant sale and hope to see returning loyal and new supports in attendance.

Refreshments such as tea and cake will also be available.

To arrange for the collection of your donations, please call the office on 01643 707 304 or, alternatively, please deliver to Minehead Methodist Church on Friday May 17 between noon and 5pm.

Home Start West Somerset along with all the families its supports, would like to thank you for your continued support.

The Bicknoller Flower Show Committee would like to extend its thanks to everyone who helped make the event possible and successful.

More than 70 daffodil entries in green wine bottles, plants in bloom display and the 10 beautiful camellias were noted as outstanding.

A special thanks is given to judges Chris Yates and Daphne Criddle, and Clive Raisey for presenting the trophies.

Results in full

Class winners 2024 (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly commended)

Classes 101 to 112 NARCISSI

Class 101 3 stems any variety -Mrs A Allen, Lucy Croxton, Kate Harrison, J Coatesworth; Class 102 3 trumpet - Lucy Croxton, Christine Chaplin; Class 103 1 trumpet - Mrs A Allen, Carole Darke, Kate Harrison; Class 104 3 large-cupped - Kate Harrison, Sally Simpson, Lucy Croxton; Class 10 1 large-cupped - Lucy Croxton, Kate Harrison, Sally Simpson; Class 106 3 small-cupped - Carole Darke, Lucy Croxton, Christine Chaplin; Class 107 1 small cupped - Lucy Croxton, Sally Simpson, Christine Chaplin; Class 108 3 double - Christine Chaplin, Lucy Croxton; Class 109 1 double - Mrs A Allen, Lucy Croxton, Carole Darke; Class 110 3 multi-headed - Kate Harrison, Jane Coatsworth, Lucy Croxton, C Chaplin; Class 111 3 miniature/rockery - Lucy Croxton, Christine Chaplin, Sally Simpson; Class 112 3 other divisions - Lucy Croxton, Mrs A Allen, Sally Simpson.

Other Flowers

Class 113 3 muscari - Carole Darke, Lucy Croxton, Sally Morrison; Class 114 1 tulip - Jane Coatesworth, Kate Harrison, Sally Morrison; Class 115 1 hyacinth - Lucy Croxton, Sally Simpson; Class 116 1 camelia - J Coatesworth, Lucy Croxton, Kate Harrison, Sarah Summers; Class 117 6 hellebores in bowl - Lucy Croxton, Kate Harrison, Christine Chaplin, Chris Leigh; Class 118 1 A O flower - Lucy Croxton, Sally Simpson, Kate Harrison; Class 119 1 stem shrub - Christine Chaplin, Michele Sears, Alison Turner, Kate Harrison.

Pot Grown Plants

Class 201 Spring plants - Sally Simpson, Sally Morrison, Sarah Summers; Class 203 Plant in bloom - Sally Simpson, Kate Harrison, J Coatesworth, Sarah Summers.

Floral Art

Class 301 Delightful Daffodils - Christine Chaplin, Sally Simpson, Sarah Summers; Class 30 Terrific Tulips - Christine Chaplin, Sarah Summers, Sally Simpson; Class 303 Treasures in wine glass - Michele Sears, Sally Simpson, Christine Chaplin, Sarah Summers.

Bicknoller Bake Off - Lucy Croxton

Photo Competition - Alan Rooke

Trophy Winners:

The Clifton Trophy for overall highest number of points: Classes 101-203 - Lucy Croxton; Mrs E Darke Trophy for most points in Floral Art classes - Christine Chaplin; Trophy for best bloom - Sally Simpson; Trophy for Best Vase of 3 daffodils – Lucy Croxton.

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£900 has been raised at Tithe Barn last weekend for local foodbanks around the West Somerset area.

The event was held in Dunster and welcomed a community of choirs from Tiverton, Taunton and Minehead to raise the money for foodbanks.

Gathering at the Tithe Barn, the three choirs performed on Saturday afternoon for two hours in from the community, where singing, poetry and laughter filled the barn.

Incredibly the event rasied £900 for food banks in Minehead, Taunton and Tiverton and The Tithe Barn offers beautiful acoustics, a great setting for events of this kind.

Sally o'Connell, who attended, said: “I really enjoyed it - there was a real feeling of community", she sings for who sings with Heads Up!

The occasion saw the Community Choir in Taunton travelling from Ilminster to help raise funds.

Avril Childs from the Street Choir, appreciated the amply supply of Tea and Cake, said: "What a lovely afternoon. We really enjoyed it. And a shout out to the brilliant team in the kitchen."

Traveling from Devon, singer from Tivvy Voices Community Choir came along to be part of the music making fun.

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Described as the UK's country music outlaw, Front Man Mark Hills and the band Wrecking Ball, will be headlining at Esplanade Club in Watchet, Minehead.

For over 13 years, Mark has been touring the country music scene via club and festivals through the UK, Nashville and parts of Europe. Spanning the last three years, Mark has been nominated for seven British Country Music Awards and won the BCM Awards twice.

Mark is widely recognised for his country twang and deep voice, in the past he has been regarded as one of the best country music voices in Britain.

The past ten years have seen Mark, as one and half the duo ‘Spur’ where they won multiple awards, he has also been part of another duo called ‘Renegrade”, and fronted another band called ‘The Family’

Fast forwarding to present day, Mark is front man of the band ‘Wrecking Ball’, which has picked up pace and is becoming one of the most sought after country-rock bands active in the UK.

His current band, Wrecking Ball, has just completed their first summer festival circuit, organisers of the festival said they were keen to add something really different into their lineup.

Organisers have seen that country music is growing in popularity and more people are now listening to it as a result, and the music is easily able to “cross over” to a wider and more diverse audience.

In the South West in 2017 Wrecking Ball appeared in opening support headline slots in many festivals, which include being the opening act for the Sheppy's Cider at their SheppyFest 2017, that year the festival was headlined by Hoosiers.

Other popular festivals in 2017 included headline billing at Oakfest 2017, as well as Hobphin Festival, hewishstock and Rimpfest 2017.

The up and coming event at The Esplanade will see the band play original tracks and covers from Zac Brown, Eric Church, Keith Urban to Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell and many more.

The Esplanade Club in Watchet, Minehead, Saturday 30 March at 9:00pm.