Easton Pop Up Cafe – Oxfam Gaza Appeal
Colleagues in Easton have asked me to draw attention to a pop up cafe in Easton on Saturday 10th February. Details on the poster here
Friday 26 January – At last – ‘Oppenheimer’ in the village hall
Dear all,
At last we can present Oppenheimer on the Westbury big screen. It’s the big one you’ve all been waiting for – winner of 5 Golden Globes and nominated for 13 Oscars. This blockbuster runs for nearly three hours so we shall start projecting earlier than usual at 7.45pm, but fear not – there will be the usual drinks and nibbles . We’ll just be there from 7pm rather than 7.30, so still time to chat and meet up with your neighbours.
The story, just in case you’ve been completely ignoring all media these last few months –
During World War II, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is appointed to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.
And the critics say –
That the director, Christopher Nolan, turned this most devastating of stories into a riveting pop culture phenomenon without ceding one inch on its tragic dimensions is surely an achievement for the ages.
What Nolan has put before our eyes definitively deserves to be seen, as does Cillian Murphy’s performance in the role of Oppenheimer and the irreconcilable but fantastic Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Lewis Strauss.
Every scene feels like a cataclysm waiting to happen, fitting for a film that builds, step-by-step, to the creation of a cataclysm machine. Oppenheimer both summons awe for what it took to build the bomb and for the changes it wrought.
Nolan captures that theoretical aspect of Oppenheimer on the screen in very personal moments… that energy, that swirl of passion in the unknown it’s all there, and it is phenomenal to watch.
Epic in scale and substance, writer-director Christopher Nolan has arguably produced the best film of his impressive career. He delivers a nuanced script … and turns a complex and defining moment in history into a pulse-pounding thriller.
This is a complex look at a complicated man, but Oppenheimer unequivocally establishes that this is a story worth telling — and that Nolan was the perfect filmmaker to do it.
So do come and if you’ve already seen it you’ll know that it’s worth a second viewing. Tickets £8 to include your first drink, in the village shop or on the door.
Sue
Sandbags (again)
A reminder that we still have a number of sandbags available for collection at Old Ditch Farm. They can be very helpful diverting water away from your property during periods of heavy rain which appear to be increasingly frequent. Owing to a miscalculation on my part we have to charge £2.00 each rather than £1.50 (they contain 20 kilos, not 10 ) but the good news is that Graeme, Dyland and Toby have filled them for you and all you have to do is pick them up. Call me (870531) or Ian Metcalf (870262) to arrange when.
Stock up on Sandbags
The wet weather is causing a lot of localised flooding in the village and this problem seems likely to become more common in the future. With that in mind the Friendly Society has arranged for a supply of sandbags to be made available, along with sand to fill them. If any residents would like to avail themselves of an emergency supply, they can pick up and fill the bags (approx. 10 Kg.) at Old Ditch Farm at a cost of £1.50 each. The money will enable us to purchase more should supply exceed the quantity available or reimburse the Friendly Society.
To avail yourself of this facility please contact Mick Fletcher (870531) or Ian Metcalf (870262).
We would be grateful if those receiving this message could pass it on to those of their neighbours who are not online but might find it helpful.
NEW 126 Weston-Wells-Weston timetable
The new 126 bus timetable is now available as a PDF file by clicking here: 126 map and timetable
It can also be found at firstbus 126 map and timetable
Somerset Council Press Releases
Somerset Council have notified the Parish Council of press releases they heve issued, concerning Waste Collection Days, Fostering in Somerset, and the end of charges for some items at Recycling Sites.
All these press releases and more can be found at:
www.somerset.gov.uk/newsroom/
Make your Christmas green – recycle your tree
Press release
For immediate release
Make your Christmas green – recycle your tree
With the festive season in full swing, Somerset Council is reminding everyone to put recycling the Christmas tree onto their list.
The best option is to compost it at home or turn it into a wildlife corner, though we appreciate that will not be possible for many people.
Garden Waste Service subscribers can leave their decoration-free tree out with their first collection of the year, so long as its smaller than 2 metres (or 6ft). The service will resume from Monday 8 January.
Trees will not be collected from the kerbside unless you subscribe to the Garden Waste Service.
Many charities, community organisations and groups are running tree collection or drop-off services, raising money for good causes.
These include St Margarets Hospice and Dorothy House Hospice Care. Please check online for details.
Trees can also be taken to any of Somerset’s recycling sites and put it in the garden waste skip.
Recycling sites will be closed on Bank Holidays but will be open for their usual hours at other times, check online for details: www.somerset.gov.uk/waste.
Cllr Dixie Darch Executive Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change said:
“Although there’s festivities still to come, don’t forget to plan what to do with your tree following the seasonal celebrations.
“I’d encourage residents to think green and make sure that Christmas trees are sustainably disposed of, contributing to making Somerset a greener, more sustainable county”.
When it comes to the environmentally friendly choice, the Carbon Trust say that having a real tree rather than a plastic one is often better (depending on where and how it was grown). To even out the carbon used to produce a fake tree, it would need to be used for at least 10 years.
Plastic Christmas trees cannot be recycled. Consider giving unwanted fake trees to charity or offer them up on a reuse platform such as Freegle or Gumtree.
Any fake trees that have lost their Christmas cheer should be disposed of via the Energy from Waste skip at any of Somerset’s recycling sites.
For more tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle at this time of year visit: www.somerset.gov.uk/SeasonalWaste
Somerset Council – Public consultation on budget setting
A public consultation on Somerset Council’s budget has launched.
It will offer a chance for people to have their say in light of the financial emergency, which was called in November.
It’s open to all, and we are encouraging our Somerset communities, residents, businesses, stakeholders, and partners to take part.
The consultation highlights several discretionary services which could be redesigned, reduced, or even stopped.
It goes live from today (11 December) and will close on 22 January.
The link can be found at: https://somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/comms/budget-consultation-2024-2025/
It can also be completed in libraries and council offices across Somerset.
Financial Emergency
The in-year overspend for 2023/24 is £27m.
The projected budget gap for 2024/25 is £100m.
To close the gap and balance the budget next year a series of service reductions, efficiency savings, and increases to fees and charges, including Council Tax, will need to be considered.
It is clear that this alone will not close the budget gap.
Plans to fundamentally change the council’s systems and processes to streamline its operations will need to speed up to reduce the size of the council in future.
Press and publicity
A press release will be issued later, with associated social media messaging.
The PR quotes Leader of Somerset Council, Cllr Bill Revans.
“I urge everyone to take part in our consultation, read through the information, understand our challenges, and have your say.
“We are facing very difficult decisions – this is not where we want to be. But we must face the reality of what is, fundamentally, a broken system of local government funding nationally.
“The cost of delivering our services, particularly social care, is increasing at a much faster rate than our income.
“This means we have to consider every available option to plug our budget gap, including increasing fees, reducing operating costs and finding savings across all areas. Before we make any decisions, it’s important we listen to our residents, especially when those decisions will affect people across Somerset.”
Lobbying for fairer funding for Local Government
Cllr Revans says: “We are continuing to lobby Government to address the financial crisis facing local councils. Just last week the County Councils Network published a letter sent to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and signed by myself and 32 other Council Leaders from all over the country.
“The letter highlighted the growing concern nationally with 7 out of 10 councils no longer confident they can balance their budget next year.
“We are asking Somerset’s MPs to join our call for fairer funding, and I would encourage anyone who cares about local council services to write to your local MP to ask them to raise this at the highest level.”
Go to: https://somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/comms/budget-consultation-2024-2025/
And please share with your communities and networks, as appropriate – thanks all.
Ally
Ally Laing
Communications Lead – Members and Stakeholders
Somerset Council
+447989 078188
ally.laing@somerset.gov.uk
Somerset Council
126 Wells to Weston Starts 2nd January 2024
The Parish Clerk has received the following notice from the ‘Wells Bus Users Group’:
News. News. News.
126 Bus is back.
STARTS 2nd January.
thank you for your support.
Lets go by bus, yes.
The operator will be First West buses and buses will run from the Wells Bus garage.
Somerset Council Press Release
The following press release was notified to the WsM Parish Council…
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| Press release For immediate release |
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Recycling collections delayed due to flooding across the county
The flooding which affected parts of Somerset on Monday and Tuesday (4 and 5 December) prevented recycling and refuse crews collecting from hundreds of households in parts of South Somerset.
Due to the scale of flooding, crews will be unable to return to some households whose waste collections were missed, including around 500 households in Merriott and Crewkerne. Residents are asked to bring their boxes and bags in and put them back out on their next usual collection day.
Crews will today (Wednesday), return to parts of Yeovil to collect recycling missed on Tuesday. Some residents in and around Yeovil and Crewkerne (due to have their recycling collected today) may have a delayed collection, any missed collections will be returned for tomorrow.
Due to the weather forecast, disruption to collections may continue for the rest of the week, but crews will be working on Saturday to collect missed recycling.
Residents are asked to leave their boxes and bags out for two days. If crews haven’t collected after this point, then please take waste back in and put it back out on their usual collection day next week.
Every week crews makes more than 350,000 collections across then county. While the vast majority usually run smoothly, Somerset Council understands the frustration when there are delays.
Anyone affected by delayed collections is asked to make the most of the space in boxes and bags by crushing, squashing and flattening items if possible.
*Please be aware further disruption is expected tomorrow (Thursday 7 December) with a weather warning for rain in place.
You can check whether roads in your area are impacted by visiting Roadworks and travel information (somerset.gov.uk).
Keep up-to-date with live travel and road information on Travel Somerset X feed.
Remember – do not drive into flood water. Visit Adverse weather conditions (somersetroadsafety.org) for information about driving in bad weather.
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