Friday 26 November 2010



Gunners up next for seven-goal Petherton

Tigers through to Div One Final

IT’S obviously going to take something special to prise South Petherton’s grip from the Somerset Junior Cup.

Cup holders Pethy crushed the Parson St Old Boys 7-2 to move serenely into the last 32 where they have another away-day at Bath Arsenal - conquerors of Crewkerne Town in round one.

The other remaining PSL representatives Merriott Rovers made the trip to the seaside only to find their game with Weston St John’s Sportsbar postponed - Rovers manager Martin Case was not a happy man! - rthe two teams will try for a third time on Saturday.

LEAGUE CUPS ROUND-UP

A second-half Jamie Spurdle free-kick was enough to earn Crewkerne Town a place in the Division One Cup Final. Crewkerne became the first team this season to shut-out the Netherbury strike force as they won 1-0.

Standing between the The Tigers and the trophy on January 3rd will be Lyme Regis Reserves who surprisingly knocked-out the free-scoring Millwey Rise side 3-2 after extra-time at the Davey Fort.

As predicted in this column last week division three outfit Chard United did indeed give division two table-toppers Beaminster Reserves a run for their money before courageously going down 4-3 in extra-time in round one of the Daisy Hutchings Cup.

Meanwhile hat-tricks from Marco Quedas and Ricky Smith helped earn Luso-Chard (5-1 v Thorncombe Res) and Misterton Reserves (8-3 v West & Middle Chinnock Reserves) a place in round two.

They will be joined by the Crewkerne pair - Rangers and Town Reserves who saw off Waytown Hounds (4-2) and Lyme Bantams (3-2) respectively.

PREMIER

BARRINGTON welcome West & Middle Chinnock tomorrow buoyed by a 6-3 win over struggling Misterton last weekend.

Tom Perry struck twice for the Yellow Hammers who could close the gap on fifth placed Ilminster Reserves to just a point with a win.

There’s an early season relegation six-pointed at Unity Lane tomorrow where Misterton welcome Combe Reserves with both sides still chasing their first league win of the season.

DIVISION ONE

A SPARKLING individual performance from Lee Goodland inspired Forton Rangers to a fine 5-1 win over Thorncombe.

Goodland struck four times for the Rangers (the first player to do so since Alex Thompson bagged five in a 6-0 win over Chard United in a Division One cup tie two years ago) who moved up a place to sixth ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Charmouth.

Meanwhile Ilminster Colts, fresh from a routine 4-1 win over doomed Charmouth, become the latest team to attempt to bring an end to Winsham United’s proud 100 percent league record.

Norton will look to end a three game mini-slump when they visit Millwey Rise. They will do we to do so - the East Devon side are not likley to give up their well publicised 28-game unbeaten league run without a fight!

Crewkerne Town will look continue their quest for an instant return to the Premier division when they welcome Perry Street Reseves to Henhayes.

DIVISION TWO

THERE were goals aplenty in last weekend’s two fixtures.

Dowlish & Donyatt hammered seven past struggling Pymore and kept their first clean sheet of the campaign.

South Petherton Reserves went one better battering Chard Rangers 8-2 with manager Barry Kench getting in on the act with number eight after clambering off the bench.

Tomorrow’s solitary game could be a cracker with Shepton Beauchamp, currently fifth, travelling to third placed Hinton. Both sides need a win to re-enforce their promotion ambitions.

DIVISION THREE

Ryan Hobby scored his fifth of the season as Combe A beat bottom of the table Winsham United Reserves 2-0. The Saints entertain fellow mid-tablers Chard United at Slades Cross tomorrow.

Runaway league leaders Misterton Reserves could extend their lead at the top to six points with a win at Farway United Reserves - that’s if the East Devon pitch survives the forecast cold snap.

Crewkerne Town Reserves lock horns with Lyme Bantams for the second time in a week tomorrow.

The Tigers travel to Venlake with an opportunity to join Luso-Chard in joint second spot - but wary that last week’s 3-2 cup win over the Seasiders could have gone either way with both teams feeling they had perfectly good goals ruled out.

DIVISION FOUR

A DOUBLE from Dale Hutter, who took his tally to four in three, helped Chard Rangers Reserves end a seven game losing streak with a 3-1 win over fellow struggers Hawkchurch Reserves. Rangers entertain Combe B at Jocelyn Park tomorrow.

At the other end of the table Mark Pearce and Ken Forbes both scored their eighth goals of the campaign as Hinton Reseves won 3-1 at Ilminster A to move four points clear at the top.



One in, one out as Skivo
attempts to stop the rot

Ivan enters the fray

TWO more defeats in five days has left Yeovil Town deep in relegation trouble, and Notts County’s victory over Swindon Town on Tuesday night saw the Glovers detached at the bottom along with Walsall and Dagenham & Redbridge.

A trip to The Valley is never easy whether you are in form or not, and manager Terry Skiverton will take some consolation from the fact that his side’s 3-2 defeat by Charlton Athletic on Saturday hinged on a debatable penalty decision just three minutes from normal time after fighting back to equalise twice.

The visit to Dean Court on Tuesday appears a little more clear cut as AFC Bournemouth maintained their challenge for promotion from npower League One with a relatively easy 2-0 victory.

First-half goals from Danny Hollands and Josh McQuoid was enough to see off a Glovers side that rarely put the Cherries defence under pressure throughout the match.

The game saw the debut of another loanee Ivan Sproule who signed on a month’s loan from Bristol City on Monday.

The 29-year-old midfielder who has collected 11 caps for Northern Ireland replaced fellow teammate Gavin Williams, who is also on loan, who was suspended following five bookings.

He replaces Luke Freeman who has returned to his parent club Arsenal ahead of his scheduled date. He joined Yeovil Town on loan at the beginning of the season and made 15 appearances and scoring two goals, but has been troubled by a niggling injury of late.


WITH most football clubs, particularly outside the Premier and Championship, finding life difficult due to falling gates in this time of economic recession, new commercial outlets are needed to boost their revenue.

Yeovil’s poor form has not helped, and from looking at recent home matches a lot of season ticket holders are not even bothering to go and watch. This of course means less programme and lottery sales, and a reduction in the number of people purchasing food and drink from the club bars and kiosks, in addition to loss of revenue from new or occasional ‘bums on seats’.

Not living in Yeovil I am not sure how much use is made of the Huish Park facilities. There are match day hospitality suites and carveries, and ground advertising and a chance to be a mascot, but what happens outside of that?

What happens during the week in the conference rooms and bars?

I don’t see many events advertised apart from the odd sportsman’s night, and with the directors hogging the bar in the main building with fans relegated to a marquee outside, it doesn’t encourage fans to stay behind after a match.

My old club Lyme Regis have a clubhouse the size of the Glover’s changing rooms and on a good night where a theme night is laid on with a good curry or barbecue, they can take well over £1,000!

Unfortunately the club has a reputation of being a bit aloof and not positively fan friendly, and so I guess it is only to be expected, but come on Yeovil, think about it.

With all the facilities you have available surely the place should be busy at least four or five days a week with company conferences and club events.

The way the team is performing you can’t rely too much on match day revenue.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

60 SECOND INTERVIEW: Gavin Tyte



The Reverend Gavin Tyte lives in Uplyme with his wife and children. At the age of 18, he travelled around the world with just his rucksack. After his trip, he began his work as a music technology teacher at a Higher Education college before training as a vicar in the New Forest.

After becoming an associate vicar in Bath, Gavin and his wife Lucy, worked together to run a successful community cafe helping those who were disadvantaged in Twerton.

In December last year, Gavin decided to move on and felt “God’s calling” to come to Uplyme as a vicar.

He is a keen fisherman and angler but perhaps Gavin’s greatest success is his music, where from an early age he pioneered and helped transform the beatboxing scene into what it is today.

by Laura Goldsbury Noy

WHAT is the main function of the church in Uplyme?
To help people encounter God and also to help people join in with God’s mission of the world. Our strap-line is joining in with the mission of God. God’s got a plan for the world he wants us to bless it. He wants us to look after it and he wants us to look out for people. So our invitation is for people to join in with that. That underpins everything we’re about. And when we get together, we sing we chat and we pray. We have fun as well. The church is a bunch of people that follow Jesus and are joining in with his mission of the world.

DO YOU welcome everyone and anyone into your church?
Our Sunday gatherings are very family friendly so all are welcome and all are valued. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old; able or disabled and it doesn’t matter what age, sex, or sexuality. We try and welcome everybody and let them know that they are loved by God. As Christians we mustn’t judge people but love them. There is enough judging going on in the world without us joining in on the act.

WHAT’S the point of churches in a modern multi-cultural society?
Christianity has been in our culture for thousands of years. I think there is still a real connection with Christianity as a lot of people still pray and still believe. But I think the church is behind the times with the way things are done. In a lot of places, the church has become disconnected in the way it does things from culture and has become its own sub culture. It’s sad; we should be at the fore front as it’s still the largest voluntary organisation.

HOW long have you been involved in beatboxing?
I’ve been beatboxing since I was eight-years-old. I was making drum sounds and doing impersonations before I even knew it existed. It’s kind of stuck with me. In the 1990s, beatboxing was off the radar, so me and a few others created a web forum to connect those involved. It grew over time and now has over 60,000 registered members. We organised the world convention in 2003, which was the first time beatboxers all over the world had got together. I created the first audio and text tutorials and then when the internet got faster, created the world’s first video tutorials on how to beatbox.

ARE you still involved in beat boxing now you’re a vicar?
I still get asked to judge the UK championships and I still perform fairly regularly. That can be all over the place. Getting the whole royalty treatment as a judge is great. It’s like I’m the elder statesman of beatboxing even though I’m only 39. I’m old for that whole scene. The kids coming through now are just amazing.

DO you have any exciting events coming up?
I have my first public beatboxing performance down here, at the Lyme Regis Marine Theatre on the December 9th. I’m beatboxing with a good friend of mine, Hobbit. He was the finalist this year for beatboxing, so he’s the second best in the UK. He’s at the top of the game, and he’s mega in demand. There’s going to be some bands playing too so it’s going to be a good night. It’s £3.50 for under 16’s and £5 for adults.

DURING your travels, where was the best place you visted?
New Zealand was really great but I loved the Australian outback the most. I avoided the touristy bit as I hitchhiked most of the way. I saw all the bits you wouldn’t normally see. I loved the peace, the quiet, the warmth, the rock and the sand. It was a very barren place but there was something very special about it.

IF YOU were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want with you?
I’d definitely have a bible. No, actually I’d have my laptop, because that’s got the bible on it already. I couldn’t be prized away from my laptop. I’d also like a microphone and a decent sound system. Then at least they’ll be some entertainment. I think I’d add some solar panels to power all of it.

VIEW PROFILE: Patricia Symon

Life isn’t a dress rehearsal



Patricia Symon, known as Trish to her friends, has spent a career performing at the highest level on the world’s biggest stages. In her career Trish reached a level that many try and fail to achieve and she is now helping prepare Bridport’s abundant crop of young talent to follow in her footsteps.

Despite a dream career, Trish has had a difficult private life losing both her mother and younger sister to the hereditary illness Huntington’s Disease and suffering seven years of abuse at the hands of her first husband.

Now preparing for retirement in Loders, Trish shows no signs of slowing down working as Vocal Coach on the latest production from Bridport Musical Theatre Company and producing her own Christmas Cracker show to be performed in Loders next month. She tells TOM GLOVER her story.

PROFESSIONALLY Trish Symon has lived the life that many of the young people she works with dream of. However, her success didn’t come without sacrifice and it was a road of immeasurable highs and tragic lows.

Having lost both her mother and younger sister to the terminal hereditary illness Huntington’s disease, Trish soldiered on constantly moving forward in fear of the life sentence that she had a 50/50 chance of inheriting.

“I always thought of myself a bit like ‘Road Runner’, with Huntington’s disease as the big ugly monster trying to catch me,” said Trish.

“I was going hell for leather into life and nothing was going to stop me. I’m not a particularly shy person at the best of times but this made me determined to take every opportunity I could find and I think that probably drove me more than my contemporaries.”

Trish’s father mysteriously disappeared in 1958, listed as “missing, presumed dead”, leaving her increasingly ill mother and elderly grandmother to raise Trish and her sister.

“It has left me thinking that people shouldn’t waste their talent,” she said. “There’s no dress rehearsal you’ve got to do it now because you don’t get a second chance and you don’t know what’s round the corner, so enjoy it.”

Raised in Aberdeen in the early 50s, Trish played her first role as a munchkin in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz aged four.

Trish was first recognised for her “sweet soprano voice” at age seven, when she played Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

Not only gifted musically, Trish was also blessed academically and finished secondary school two years ahead of her peers.

This left Trish with a choice at 16 to train as a music teacher, a cookery teacher or to chase her dream of performing by studying for a performer’s diploma in Glasgow.

“My mum never said don’t do it and till this day I thank her for that,” she said.

“She must have had her reservations, I was so young, going 300 miles away and living in digs but she never said no.

“She came with me to the interview and somehow arranged to pay all fees. I worked part time throughout to help with costs.”

At 19 Trish had graduated from Glasgow with two diplomas in performing and in teaching, the equivalent of two degrees.

On the advice of her singing teacher she applied for a scholarship in Italy working with the vocal coach of La Scala, Milan. Despite the language barrier they bonded over their mutual love of music and Trish returned to the UK a year later and joined the Scottish Opera.

When the Scottish Opera faced financial ruin a year later she joined a friend in London and promptly landed a principal role in The King’s Rhapsody, with Russell Grant, shortly followed by a pantomime run playing Cinderella.

Having realised it was the fun of performance as much as the art of singing she enjoyed, Trish applied for the English National Opera, The Royal Opera House and a role in Gone with the Wind at the Drury Lane theatre.

Trish auditioned for all three on the same day and was offered an immediate five-year contract as chorister and junior principle with the Royal Opera House, where she spent the next 26 years.

It was after landing this contract that Trish, now married, discovered her mum’s illness. Her mum eventually spent ten years in hospital before dying at the age of 61. Her sister developed the illness even earlier in life and sadly died by suicide at the age of 36.

As well as trying to establish herself at the opera house Trish regularly flew back to Aberdeen to care for her mum and sister, and to make matters worse Trish was also suffering regular abuse at the hands of her violent husband.

Despite the tragedy in her private life Trish loved her new role with the opera house, working with the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa.

Trish recalls one event which cemented her love in opera.

“I remember touring America for the first time with an opera called Turandot,” she said.

“A Welsh singer called Dame Gwyneth Jones was playing the lead and she stood up and sang the big aria in rehearsal and everyone just gasped because it just made the hair stand on end. It was like pinging crystal, just one of those magical sounds. On opening night we did 30 curtain calls and there was a standing ovation for 25 minutes, it was just a huge success.

“None of us forgot it, that was the pinnacle moment when you think I’m so pleased I’m part of this. It makes you feel alive. It’s a very satisfying art form to sing, you give of yourself and when it’s done properly the audience know it’s something special and they give you the accolade which makes you want to do it again and again.”

After separating from her first husband after seven years of abuse, Trish met Kenny and re-married in 1978. Despite trying to put him off, fearing the potential fate that hung over her, he persisted saying: “I accept you as you are, you won’t get it and we will have a normal life’, he has been an absolute rock,” said Trish.

This year, aged 61, on hearing her eldest nephew, 36, has now tested positive with Huntingdon’s disease, Trish decided to take the predictive test and was told it was negative, meaning neither she nor her son and daughter will develop it, 38 years after her mother was diagnosed.

Her love for Kenny was so strong that she even turned down advances from one of the world’s biggest opera stars, known to her as “Plastic Domino”.

“Placido Domingo had an eye for the ladies,” said Trish.

“I was about to run on from the wings and do my solo part, all my colleagues were on the stage and I’m waiting anxiously to go on and then I hear this Spanish voice behind me saying ‘Good morning, Patricia, you are looking particularly lovely today’.

“He said ‘I fly to Hamburg tonight, you will come with me, we will make love and you will fly back with me here for rehearsal on Monday morning, what do you say Patricia?’

“Unfortunately none of us realised that the microphone was on in the prompt corner and the entire theatre heard his naughty proposition. What’s worse I just said what popped into my head which was ‘I’m terribly sorry I can’t, I’ve got my boyfriend’s sausages to cook for his tea!”

When the Royal Opera House closed for re-development in 1999 Trish began a career in supporting work for TV. Among her various roles Trish has played a bingo hall receptionist alongside Paul O’Grady, a disbelieving audience member in Houdini biopic Death Defying Acts and even Pat Butcher’s body double in Eastenders.

Three years after leaving the opera house though Trish returned, this time as a professional actress, the only former singer to return as an actress in the opera house’s famous history, beating 147 women in her audition for Franco Zefirelli’s production of I Pagliacci.

At around this time Trish also began her own private vocal coaching business. Through her tuition Trish has worked with West End stars, X Factor contestants and “Grease is the Word” finalist Jennifer Harragay.

Most recently Trish spotted Camilla Kerslake on TV, a former student who is now managed by Take That’s Gary Barlow and recently appearing in Les Miserables at the O2 arena.

This year Trish moved to Loders with plans of retiring but after watching Bridport Musical Theatre Company’s production of Anything Goes Trish soon found herself getting back involved with theatre.

“I was blown away by the company,” said Trish.

“I could see that they needed a little bit of tuition but the talent was definitely there and I thought I would like to be involved with this in some capacity.”

After meeting with company Director, Dave Swaffield, Trish was offered the position of Vocal Coach and has since worked on Showstoppers and 42nd Street.

Trish is currently working with the group on Showstoppers 2 as well as organising her own Christmas show to raise money for the group.

“I wanted to say thank you to Loders village where I now live and give something to the community for welcoming us so warmly, they have been very supportive and helpful.

A Christmas Cracker will be something a bit unusual, as we have a swing version of Jingle bells, a sing-along Sound of Music, a riotous version of good King Wenceslas, quiz and raffle prizes plus refreshments afterwards. I have three terrific singers from BMTC, Richard Chubb, Emma Foulsham and Lauren Glover and I’ve got the wonderful Terry Lunt as the MC.”

A Christmas Cracker will be performed on Saturday, December 4th, 2.30pm at Loders Village Hall. Tickets from the Loders Arms, and Jean on 01308 427091. Showstoppers 2 will be next April, at Bridport Arts Centre.



A soft kiss from Gail in glorious Bangkok

I FELL in love with Gail on the first day of a holiday to Thailand.

My wife and I were spending a fortnight touring Bangkok and Pattaya with Pat, a Canadian friend for whom I was acting as guide as it was her first visit to the country.

Now I’m sure you’ll all have heard about holiday romances but it was certainly nothing I’d planned. It just happened.

I met Gail for the first time in a little bar off Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok where we were all having a drink and it really was love at first sight.

She breezed in while we were all talking about the fabulous Grand Palace with its stunning buildings that we’d toured that day and her cool detachment immediately made an impression on me.

There was nothing so sordid as pressing my unwelcome attentions on her because it turned out she was going to be at several of the places we were planning to visit and she was as interested in me as I was in her.

Next day we met again while Pat, my wife Hazel and I were enjoying a tour of Ayutthea, the ruined former capital of Thailand, on a trip which also included the remarkable Royal summer palace with its beautifully manicured grounds.

Gail charmed everyone who met her and I was even able to snatch a few moments alone with her, long enough to arrange to meet that night in another bar when I’d be on my own. She was there to welcome me and the evening with her was bliss.

Morning saw us tackle a long tailed boat ride up Bangkok’s main river and into a maze of waterways known as klongs above which ordinary Thai people lived in stilted houses.

We also risked vertigo by climbing up the precipitous Temple of Dawn before being dazzled by wonderful exhibits at the Royal Barge Museum, but my pleasure was tinged with regret because Gail couldn’t make any of these trips or the Red Cross Centre I later showed Pat where poisonous snakes are milked of their venom to help make anti-venom.

I was feeling a bit venomous myself because Gail wasn’t interested in joining us next day on a trip to the fascinating floating market at Damnoen Saduak although she did come to the Rose Garden cultural show later where her presence underlined just how besotted I’d become with her.

There was no chance to grab another moment with Gail when Pat, Hazel and I toured a village market and went sculling down a river before tackling a Thai cookery lesson which included creating five dishes for our own lunch. Gail was also missing at an orchid farm we went to but she did agree to join us for a fabulous evening meal at one of Bangkok’s top restaurants where I sat next to her and basked in her attention much to the annoyance of Pat and my wife who unfortunately were starting to suspect something.

They made sure there was no love interest for me the next day by marching me round a blisteringly hot Chatuchak Market which has 25,000 stalls. It was all a bit of a blur for me, but I came back into focus when Gail joined us when we all went out that night for dinner and to watch the brilliant Siam Niramit show about historical Thailand, one of the best I have seen.

Our final full day in Bangkok wasn’t as good as it could have been because Gail declined to accompany us on a trip into Khao Yai national park where we visited a fruit market, enjoyed an ox cart ride through the countryside, climbed down to a 200ft waterfall and relaxed with a lumbering ride on an elephant through jungle and up a river.

More precious moments were snatched with Gail when I met her that night in a bar and I was overjoyed when she revealed she was coming down to Pattaya on the same trip we were the next day.

Better yet, Pat and Hazel were more interested in relaxing round the pool of our hotel or strolling on the beach so there was plenty of time for me to slip away and meet Gail over a coffee.

Trips to a coral island and the lovely Nong Nooch botanical gardens had to be made without her but she rejoined us when we went to watch the Alcazar cabaret show.

There was one last chance to enjoy her company when we dined at the delicious Ruen Thai restaurant, but my wife was by now very suspicious and stayed so close that this precious moment was not as intimate as I’d hoped for.

In truth it was still a great holiday and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Pat and Hazel didn’t really mind my ardent love affair with Gail because she actually spells her name “GALE” and is a form of air conditioning machine found in many of the places we went to.

Gale was vital while we were there because temperatures were steady at about 30C but the humidity was a killer and left everyone streaming with sweat… unless you could sneak a breezy kiss from Gale!


PAT Bennett (left), Harry and Hazel
Walton prepare ingredients for
their meal in Thailand



Countdown to Christmas

ON Saturday Broad Street will once again be a hive of activty for the turning on of our Christmas lights, generally accepted as the best in the area.

The illuminations went up on Sunday and will flicker into light at 5.30pm when the Mayor, Councillor Michaela Ellis, will lead the countdown around the Christmas tree in The Shambles.

During the afternoon Alan and Lyn Vian will be running their lantern workshop with prizes for the best lanterns being awarded before the Christmas parade moves off for the lighting up ceremony.

Lyme Regis Junior Band will be playing carols around the tree and Father Christmas will arrive as usual on the fire engine.

Last year it absolutely tipped it down just as the parade was starting but that didn’t stop thousands turning out to witness the town’s first Christmas event.

I am sure the crowd will be just as big this coming Saturday when Christmas 2010 officially gets underway in Lyme.

This provides me with an opportunity to say a big thank you to Barbara Austin and her hard working Christmas Lights Committee.

It was Barbara who decided some years ago that the Lyme Christmas lights were a bit of a disgrace. So Barbara being Barbara decided to do something about it and has since raised the necessary funds, these days around £8,000, via grants and fundraising efforts to make sure Lyme’s main street looks as festive as possible every Christmas.

I suspect it gets harder every year to finance the lights but somehow Barbara and her team manage to come up with the cash

The cost of the set pieces get more expensive every year and the displays have had to be limited to the main street only.

But I’m sure Lyme will maintain its reputation as one of the most festive looking towns in the area.

The turning on of the Christmas lights signals the start of all the town’s festive activities, which will include Christmas fayres at the Woodroffe School, Marine Theatre and Woodmead Halls, a Christmas Special from the Lyme’s Got Talent finalists, a charity Christmas Cracker event and Lyme Regis Town Band’s Christmas concert.


EVENT OF THE WEEK...

OVER the hill to Axminster for Event of The Week. We’ve just launched a new series of weekend papers in South Somerset and East Devon so on Thursday evening Jackie and I went over to Axminster to cover the Operatic Society’s production of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s Showboat.

I’ve lost count of how many times over the years I’ve written reviews on the various shows at Axminster Guildhall, still the finest public hall in East Devon. The first one was No, No, Nanette in 1965!

In those days local stage shows were very much home-grown affairs. Today, accomplished stage performers travel around a bit and appear in a number of shows.

The evening was made all the more enjoyable for me because Lyme-based Brian Rattenbury and Kelly Apps (nee Street) were two of the principals in Showboat and were undoubtedly stars of the show.

I have known Brian all my adult life. As lads we played football together and spent many happy hours in the company of Joe O’Donnell at the Ship Inn.

With Brian and Joe around the pub was always full of laughter and one of their party pieces was a mock fight which was so realistic that visitors often thought it was the real thing.

Memories of this came flooding back at Showboat with Brian playing the role of Captain Andy Hawkes, the part taken by Joe E Brown in the film version. In one scene Brian had to reenact a fight, playing the part of both aggressor and receiver. It was hilaraious, the funniest thing I have seen on the local stage, and it brought the house down. Brian’s portrayal of Captain Andy was faultless, as was Kelly who took the lead role of Magnolia Hawkes.

A member of the talented Street family, Kelly has appeared in many local shows over the years but this was probably her biggest acting role. Her’s was a word perfect performance and her voice seems to get better every year.

We are indeed fortunate to have such talent in our midst.


Lyme asides ...

CONGRATULATIONS to the girls down at the Tourist Information Centre for their success in being judged as one of the best TICs in the country.

It’s an honour greatly deserved. Led by Lorraine Knowles, they run a very happy ship and provide a great service for the tourism industry in our town.

“Service with a smile” must surely be their mantra.

I only hope they are not used as a pawn in the forthcoming Monmouth Beach discussions between town and district council.


A BIZARRE historical link has emerged from renovations being carried out at the Rock Point pub in Lyme Regis.

Building work in the attic revealed a piece of wood which carried the inscription, scribbled in pencil: “Empress of Ireland, sunk in St Lawrence, Canada, 1914, death toll 1,073, captain saved”.

The Empress of Ireland was an ocean liner built in 1905 which carried mail between Britain and Hong Kong, via Canada.

Whilst steaming on the St Lawrence river in May 1914 in fog The Empress was struck amidships and the 1,073 casualties made it the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history.

Why this should come to be described on a piece of wood in a Lyme Regis pub is a complete mystery. Any theories?

www.viewfromonline.co.uk

Friday 19 November 2010



Tasty Division One Cup semi-final in prospect

Chinnocks hit Saints for nine

THREE Perry Street League teams fell at the second hurdle of this season’s Somerset Junior Cup on Saturday.

Crewkerne Town looked to have booked their place in round three as they led visiting Bath Arsenal 4-1 with 20 minutes left. But the Gunners stormed back and won a the game with an extra-time strike.

Combe Reserves also shipped five on their home turf as they were beaten 5-2 by Castle Cary. The third of the trio was Perry Street Reserves who went down 4-1 at Frome Town Sports.

Holders South Petherton and Merriott Rovers are still in the hat - their matches at Weston St Johns and Parson St Old Boys were postponed - the teams will try again tomorrow.

LEAGUE CUPS

John Fowler: Winsham United Reserves, struggling at the foot of the Division three table turned the form book on its head with an impressive 3-2 win at Chard United after trailing 2-1 at the break.

It was a similar story at Forton where Luso-Chard trailed to Millwey Rise Reserves at the interval but a brace from league top scorer Marco Quedas turned things around.

The closest of the weekend’s ties was at Unity Lane where a debut hat-trick from Misterton Reserves’ Connor Fletcher still wan’t enough to see off Crewkerne Reseves as the teams were deadlocked at 4-4 after two hours.

Misterton won the resulting penalty shoot-out 4-2.

Tommy Tabberer: Dowlish & Donyatt’s reign as holders ended despite a battling display in a 2-1 defeat at owerful Beaminster Reserves.

Division One Cup: The pick of weekend’s games could arguably be at Netherbury where Crewkerne Town are the visitors with a place in the final on January 3rd at stake.
Excluding Crewkerne’s county cup blip, both sides are in good form; The Tigers unbeaten in all ‘domestic’ football this season.

But the battle between the Crewkerne defence and the Ambers’ front line, led by the Hussey brothers - Tim and Phil - could hold the key.

Daisy Hutchings Cup: Last season’s tournament played havoc with the PSDL fixture list. As a result Division One clubs are now excluded and the smaller tournament is now open to teams from Division’s two, three and four only.

This would point to Beaminster Reserves being the clear favourites - although Chard United are sure to give the Division two leaders a run for their money at Jocelyn Park tomorrow.

Both Crewkerne teams, Rangers and Town Reserves, should have few problems of disposing of Waytown Hounds and Lyme Regis Bantams respectively.

I’ll go for wins for Misterton Reserves over league top scorers West & Middle Chinnock Reserves and Luso-Chard should have few problems with Thorncombe Reserves. Barrington Reserves could have run the Farway second-string close - but the East Devon side’s first team have no game...

PREMIER DIVISION

With Farway’s Eastlee Park waterlogged there was only one Premier game - a Paul Hardy goal, his first of the season, proved decisive as Ilminster Town Reserves beat Barrington 1-0 in bad tempered derby at the Rec.

Barrington will look to end their six game winless run when they entertain Misterton, without a win all season, at Shelway Lane.

West & Middle Chinnock will do well to return with anything from their trip to third placed Beaminster who made it six wins from seven with a 4-2 Dorset Intermediate Cup win at Allendale.

DIVISION ONE

Forton Rangers looked to be in with a chance of ending Millwey Rise’ 27-game unbeaten league run as they led the Devonians through a Jon Smith strike at half-time. But  Marc Jenkins’ second-half hat-trick lifted Millwey to a 5-1 win.

Forton could be in the market for three points when they entertain Thorncombe tomorrow. The Thorns will be buoyed by a Luka de Pasquale double, on his home first team debut, in a 2-0 win over seemingly doomed Charmouth. Ilminster Colts will be eyeing a first clean sheet of the season when they entertain the struggling West Dorset Outfit tomorrow.

Top of the table Winsham United could extend their lead at the top to five points with a win over Perry Street Reserves.

DIVISION TWO

WITH Beaminster in Cup action both HInton and Crewkerne Rangers took full advantage with wins over Hawkchurch (4-0) and South Petherton Reserves (2-1) respectively.

DIVISION THREE

AFTER three wins in four improving Combe A were surprisingly hammered 5-1 at home by Farway United Reserves who had been sinking like a stone.

The Saints take on another of the Division ‘s strugglers, Winsham United Reserves at Sladdes Cross tomorrow.

DIVISION FOUR

DANNY Rudge, Nathan Davenport, Ashley Cooper and Simon Hebditch all scored twice at West & Middle Chinnock conclusively won the top of the table clash with Combe B 9-2 at Oxleaze.

Ilminster A also had their shooting boots on with veteran Andy Fish notching a hat-trick in an 8-2 win over basement side Chard Rangers Reserves.

The Blues are sure to given more of a test tomorrow with the visit of league leaders Hinton - fresh from a comfortable 4-0 win at lowly Hawkchurch Reserves.

Goals from Will Aplin and Liuke Bissett earned improving Shepton Beauchamp Reserves a two victory over struggling Thorncombe Reserves, their third straight win.

The bottom two teams in the league go head-to-head at Jocelyn Park where Chard Rangers Reserves, still without a point, welcome Hawkchurch Reserves.