Various parts of the top road to Taunton between Wheddon Cross and Beulah Chapel will be closed overnight this week for surface dressing. See our motoring section below

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From Beccy Brown:

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🌼 Winsford Fete 2026 – A Huge, Happy Thank You! 🌼

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What a day! Once again, the wonderful people of Winsford rolled up their sleeves, worked their magic, and turned the recreation field into the perfect stage for our village fete. Under Sue’s expert guidance everything came together beautifully — on time and with plenty of laughs along the way.

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Winsford really is a wonderfully generous village. So many of you gave your time, energy, and talents to make this year’s fete such a success — donating gifts, baking cakes, putting up and taking down marquees and gazebos, selling raffle and duck tickets, creating posters, and generally helping the whole event run with real charm and enthusiasm.

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Visitors were full of praise too. One family, visiting from Blackpool and staying in Dulverton, described it as “a great afternoon in the most wonderful surroundings with a lovely atmosphere.” Local people echoed those sentiments, delighted by the traditional feel of the fete and its relaxed, friendly vibe and a couple from Watchet said it reminded them of the tv programme - Vicar of Dibley!

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The fete truly caters for all generations. Children had a whale of a time with face painting, pop‑the‑balloon, duck racing and more, while adults enjoyed the chance to catch up, browse the stalls, pick up a bargain and soak up the sunshine over tea (or Pimms).

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And the results speak for themselves: £5,700 raised for the village hall  (note: this figure may alter slightly when everything is accounted for) and it just beat the 2025 record of £5620. Absolutely fantastic!

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🎉 A Big Round of Applause for…

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Richmond, Ian Brookes & Tony – our ever‑cheerful gate team. • Annalise & Sharon – for a cake stall almost too beautiful to touch. • Frazer and John – keeping the music, announcements and general flow perfectly on track. • Jane O & Karen – masters of the Pimms. • Orla & Martin – skittles experts. • Beverley, Amanda, Bryce & James – heroic tea and treat servers in the pavilion rush. • Jan & Tony – keeping stallholders topped up and smiling. • Penny – queen of the plant stall. • John & Chris – book stall maestros. • Zara, Chalie and Pauline – bric‑a‑brac battlers. • Catherine & Kirsty – fabulous fashion stall hosts. • Roy, Derek & Debbie (“Burnit & Singe”) – comedy legends of the barbecue. • Karen & friends – brilliant organisers and judges of the dog show. • Tim – ice cream hero. • Sue – creator of the wonderful treasure hunt. • Teresa & Paul – Tombola triumph. • Mike – poke‑a‑prize powerhouse. • Sammy and Charles – balloon‑popping and toy stall wizard. • Beau & Alex – break‑the‑china champions. • Anna & Suzy – face‑painting artists extraordinaire. • Sarah, Katherine & John – raffle stall stars. • Ellen & Hilary – ringmasters of the children’s races, bringing fun and laughter once again. • Ian & Lorna – brave souls of the duck race. • Bernard & Richmond – auctioneers with flair. • Tracey, Brenda & Jemima – hosts of the Church flower and produce tent. • Annalise, Callum & Debbie – heavy‑box haulers with hearts of gold.

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And of course…

💪 The Three Muscleteers: Tom, Josh & Charles

Thank you for all the lifting, shifting, trailer‑towing and humour. You made the heavy work look easy.

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Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who helped erect and dismantle the marquees and tents — truly no mean feat!

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🗓️ Fete Wash‑Up Meeting

Don’t forget: the wash‑up meeting. Everyone is welcome once the date has been confirmed so if you have ideas or suggestions come along or email Beccy at r.brown117@btintenet.com

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Photos from the fete can be seen on the Village Events page. If you have others you would like included please email me steve_pickard@hotmail.com

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Wessex Water have finally joined in with the rest and a hosepipe ban comes in from today (Tuesday)​

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The ban means hosepipes must not be used for things like filling pools and ponds, watering plants, cleaning patios & windows or washing cars.​​​

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Customers who unable to make reasonable adjustments due to a health condition or disability are exempt, as are some businesses and those using them for animal welfare reasons.

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Full details can be found here

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