Westbury-sub-Mendip

the Westbury Society 

SUCCESS! The day following the launch of our Society Roman pottery was identified from a garden in the village. The first such find in the area. Come along to see it together with other garden finds at the next meeting on Thursday 24 November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. 

Peter would like to share what he has discovered about Westbury’s glow-worms.  If you have seen them this year and have not told him please do so ASAP so that he can include them on the map of sites.  He would like to show some butterfly photos to illustrate the butterfly year in a Westbury Garden he spoke about last time.  He hopes to have a recording sheet for those who would like to share in a garden butterfly inventory for next year.  He would like people to take away a first draft of his Swallow, Swift and House Martin Inventory sheet so that he can remove the problems before the final and useful draft.  Has anyone got photographs of interesting birds, butterflies, insects or other natural phenomena that we could share.  If they are in digital format it should be easy and if not we need to transfer to digital so that they can be shown on a computer projector.  Please telephone (870640) so that any photos can be put together.

Thursday 26 January. 

SOMERSET HISTORY ON FILM  7.30 – 9.30pm Westbury Village Hall
A two hour show of Somerset films dating from around the 1930s and later will be shown. These will evoke memories and provide some surprises about Somerset life. The range of material available increases as more films are discovered.  

Trilith are asking local people to help them find movie films about Somerset - amateur and professional - by asking their friends, by enquiring in their communities and looking in their attics, so that they can ensure as many movie records as possible are preserved under safe conditions. Trilith is particularly concerned to find films from around the Mendip Hills. They make high quality video copies that, with the permission of the owners, can be seen again without risk to the originals and ensure that the owners have copies they can use themselves. 

Although a rich and fascinating record, ciné film is vulnerable and at risk. Many local film collections are hidden away in lofts and cupboards. Films can be worn out and damaged by being projected too often. Some older 35mm (cinema gauge) films can decompose and become a fire risk. 

Trilith is a registered charity. It is based on the Dorset/Somerset/Wiltshire border and was set up in 1984 to make television and video programmes about rural subjects and social concerns. Much of its work is for and about country people and local communities. It also works closely with County Record Offices, Somerset Film & Video, the South West Film and Television Archive and The National Film & Television Archive. 

Thursday 23 February

We have asked local expert Chris Sperring to come & talk about owls, but this has yet to be confirmed. 

FUTURE PLANS

We have provisionally booked the Village Hall for two further evenings – 30 March & 27 April. Put them in your diary. 

Thursday 25 May  “Garden Pots & Things” display. Bring along your archaeological finds and share your discoveries with everyone.  We hope to have the county’s Finds Liaison Officer to identify and date them. 

Thursday 22 June an exploration of Westbury church. A short talk by Jerry Sampson, Conservation Architect to Caroe & Partners, on the 18^th century game of “Fives” played around the west tower and a tour of architectural evidence of the church’s history. Tony Nott hopes to come along to talk about Westbury vicars and we are working on a special opportunity to climb the tower to contribute to church funds. 

Sunday 16 July, as part of National Archaeology Week (15-23 July) Barry Lane will give a Sunday afternoon guided walk around Ramspits deserted medieval settlement and Romano-British fields; a practical exercise in “landscape archaeology”. Meet at the Deer Leap reserve car park. 

Thursday 27 July, a glow-worm count organised by Peter Bright (870640) to cover all the sites we know about and maybe find some more.  People who want to be involved please tell me and I will organise groups to go off in different directions.  Glow-worm photographers would be particularly welcome.  Times are likely to be 9.30pm until 11.00pm.  Male glow-worms apparently don’t like the rain! 

We will launch the “Garden Pots & Things” project, so keep your eyes open while digging your garden over the winter and in the spring! We will also introduce the January evening of old Somerset movies as well as ideas about copying and preserving old 35mm, 16mm, 9.5mm and 8mm movie film, both amateur and professional. The BBC, as part of their West News, have been showing old film from around the region.  It is said to be available on their website. 

We should have some discussion of a possible structure for the future of the Society.  We might think about being as creative as possible for the next year and then having a review of the way forward in 12 months time.