RESTAURANT TIPS AND OTHER ABUSE

As a fellow chef, I was ashamed to read of the findings of the investigation into salaries and distribution of tips at Le Gavroche. Sadly, I was not surprised.

The analogy may be a poor one, but as someone who spends time working with vulnerable adults and children, whilst the current focus and attention is on long term and widespread abuse in the world of football, we must not forget that abuse in one form or another is endemic in many industries. In the past, we may have spoken in jest of the ‘casting couch’ in the movie industry, but the same principle applies in many professions.

At the heart of the problem is the overwhelming desire to reach the summit of one’s chosen profession, even if it means selling your soul. In the restaurant business the stakes may not reach the stellar heights of our sports stars but there remains cachet in being seen to be associated with the very best, and the competition is tough. The ability to have Le Gavroche, or any number of other top establishments on your CV, even if only washing pots or prepping veg, can open doors. The sad fact of life is that the chefs who have become household names know that they can pick from the cream of the crop, and pay peanuts, if anything at all. Anthony Bourdain is a clear example of just how ruthless life behind the stove can be.  

Whilst we should never condone such behaviour and the negative impact it can have on those subjected to it, whilst our own desires for recognition remain paramount, we leave ourselves exposed to the worst that human beings can inflict.

SPENDING A PENNY THIS CHRISTMAS

Local councillor and charity fund raiser, Linda Piggott-Vijeh, will be helping others to 'spend a penny' this Christmas by buying a toilet!

Said Linda, 'Each year I try to save some small amount of money to go to a good cause. Last year I saved my own weight in 1p and 2p coins to buy a cow, a goat and some chicken to help those in Africa to be able to make a living for themselves. This year, after a visit to Ashill Baptist Church I found out about Toilet Twinning. It seemed to me to be a marvelous, and fun way to help others. I then decided to collect 5p coins for the year to save up the £60 required to fund the building of a toilet through Tearfund. I travel as much as I can and am all too aware of the lack of proper facilities in third world countries which can have a huge impact on their health and wellbeing. Collecting money this way is really painless, I just put any of the 5 coins I have been given in change while out shopping into the jar each day. I cannot wait to receive the picture of my twinned toilet to hang in my own bathroom. It will be a reminder that every time I 'spend a penny' in my own home there are many others who do not have that luxury.'

http://www.toilettwinning.org/

Toilet Twinning is a simple, quirky way to solve a serious problem and save lives.
For just a £60 donation, you can twin your loo with a latrine halfway around the world, in a country of your choosing. For a £240 donation, you can twin with a school block or toilets in a displacement camp.

Your smallest room becomes the proud owner of a certificate, complete with a photo and GPS coordinates so you can look up your twin on Google Maps.

Toilet Twinning funds the work of international relief and development agency Tearfund. Your donation will be used to provide clean water, basic sanitation, and hygiene education. This vital combination works together to prevent the spread of disease. Children are healthier, and able to go to school; parents are well enough to work their land and grow enough food to feed their family. With better health, and more ability to earn a living, men and women discover the potential that lies within them to bring transformation.

Family by family, community by community, nation by nation, we are flushing away poverty.

BROADWAY QUIZ RAISES £247 FOR CHURCH FUNDS

Photo - winning quiz team and organisers at Broadway VH. 

Left to right - Ben Overd, Lisa Shearman, Steph White, Claire Robards, Beryl Muskett, Carole Willmouth, Linda Vijeh

Local Councillor and charity fund raiser, Linda Vijeh, once again pulled out all the stops this year to run the annual Christmas Quiz in Broadway, which raised much needed funds for St Aldhelm and St Eadburgha Church.

Said Linda, 'It is well known locally that I am a bit of a quiz fanatic and I am always thrilled to be asked to put together quizzes to support local charities and community fund raising events. This was my second year of running the one at Broadway, and I am delighted that we had a packed house, with 14 tables in all, raising £247, the highest amount ever raised. 

Last year I wore a reindeer onesie to host the event but was advised against it this year as apparently it was not the most fetching of looks! I tend to prefer putting together themed quizzes but this does require a lot more work. This year it was a bit embarrassing as the winning team, Quizzimodos, was led by Lisa Shearman, who I often quiz with, and who, unknown to me, had put together her own Christmas quiz for work colleagues the night before, so no wonder her team won! 

As with all of these events it could not be done without a dedicated team of volunteers to put the whole thing together, promote the event, set up tables etc.and provide refreshments. All I have to do is turn up and ask a load of questions. I understand that this one was so successful that I have been booked again for next year. 

|I will also be running a quiz at the Bowling Club in Ilminster in the new year, and another at Donyatt Village Hall on 17th February, so it looks like I shall have my work cut out. This is what being part of a community is all about and I am glad that I can play a small part in that.'

LOOK WHAT I DID MUM!

Photo – Martha Wilmot of Ilminster Methodists' Parent & Toddler Group showing off her decoration for their tree. Proceeds go to Children’s Hospice South West.

The popular Christmas Tree Festival, held annually at The Minster in Ilminster, and organised by Elizabeth Ferriss, had a bumper display of over 60 trees this year.

Local councillor Linda Vijeh volunteered to have a stint on the door on the final day and had this to say ‘I always try to be involved in community activities, both through Rotary and with other organisations I am involved with. The festival is a fantastic opportunity to put on a real display that will draw in the crowds. Some of the trees were really imaginative; I especially enjoyed the hair curlers on the one from Ilminster Hair & Beauty. It was also great to see how many family groups came along to see the trees, and to donate money to the wide range of charities represented. In several cases additional collection boxes had to be provided as they were overflowing. What was so encouraging though was the number of children accompanying their parents, keen to show off their decorative contribution to one of the trees.

Such joyful events and activities are part of what makes our small communities so vibrant, and such popular places to live.'

COMPASSION FOR THE HOMELESS AT CHRISTMAS

No Room at the Inn

Going into The Minster, Ilminster, this week to visit the Christmas Tree Festival, I passed by the static display with the sign ‘No Room’. It was clearly intended to highlight the plight of those refugees that have dominated the news this year and also those closer to home without a roof over their heads, at this particularly vulnerable time. There are no easy solutions, but as both a Samaritan and having been homeless myself, albeit temporarily, on two occasions, once during my childhood, and again as an adult, I have some small understanding of what it feels like.

Life is certainly much more complicated now. The reasons someone finds themselves homeless can be many and varied. For those fortunate enough to have enjoyed a stable, happy, life it can be difficult to understand what has caused the situation. That is if we want to take the time out of our busy lives to gain that understanding. Passing by scruffy unkempt individuals huddled in shop doorways, with a Heinz variety mutt in tow, glazed eyes, indicating possible drug use, and a roll-up clamped firmly to their mouths, can make it hard for ‘normal respectable people’ to show much sympathy.

Increasingly, drug and alcohol abuse, along with mental health issues. are a significant factor. All can contribute towards behaviour that those at home, and at work, find unacceptable. Violent outbursts, destructive behaviour, stealing to fund a habit, self-harming; the list is endless. Such behaviour, which can be damaging to others, especially children, must never be tolerated, but what worries me is our failure to look beyond the outward symptoms to get to the root cause of the problem.

We all make decisions in our lives, some of which can have devastating consequences. In my adult life, I have on three occasions provided homeless accommodation, twice for individuals and once for a family, on Christmas Eve, with no deposit, no references. Whilst extending the hand of friendship has not always been without problems, I have rarely had my trust misused.   

In my own case, the first time around, my mum, a single parent with three young children, having left my violent father, took us to live with my grandparents. Then the bailiffs turned up and literally turned us out onto the street because my feckless grandfather had spent the rent money. My mum and siblings went to a homeless shelter, before going to stay with a distant relative. I, at age 10, and being the eldest, was farmed out to mum’s work colleague for the time it took my mum to sort us out. We ended up living in one room in a shared house, where we had to avoid stepping on the used needles strewn on the ground outside.

Later in life, on leaving my husband, despite being halfway way around the world, with no job, no home, and no money, I was fortunate that a friend offered me use of her house whilst she was working away.

In the absence of much close family I cherish other relationships. I have been blessed with a strong network of friends who have helped to pull me through difficult times. They are my lifeline. Sometimes a lifeline is all it needs to keep someone hanging in there while all around them their lives are unravelling. Which is why organisations like Samaritans are so important. And why, especially at Christmas time, we need to show some compassion. Those selling The Big Issue ARE trying to help themselves.

Bras - Against Breast Cancer

Picture (LtoR) Linda Piggott-Vijeh, Sam Grabham, Claire Hebron

Flush with her recent success in collecting unwanted bras for cancer research Claire Hebron has put in a plea for more donations, and said, 'I was thrilled to be asked by Linda to help support this initiative earlier this year and I was over whelmed by the response. In the run up to Christmas I am aware that many women will be the happy recipients of new bras to add to their collection and will no doubt be disposing of some old ones. So, please bring them along to Hebron's to help support this worthy. The bras can be in any condition as they are re-cycled.'

Against Breast Cancer uses the bars to help raise vital funds towards dedicated research to improve detection and increase survival after breast cancer diagnosis. The bras also support small businesses in Africa. Recycling through a  textile recovery project prevents the bras going into landfill and gives them a new lease of life in developing countries where bras remain too expensive to produce locally.For every tonne of bras collected, Against Breast Cancer receives £700 to fund research. With over 30 million women in the UK you could really help make a difference!
Successful ventures like this keep many families in developing countries out of poverty whilst providing employment for people at home in the UK. 

Wayford Vineyard

Farmer John Wyatt, Director Peter Woodward, Tony Cooper (all founders of the group and local Rotarians)

Being a both a Rotarian and a wine lover can provide some interesting opportunities; hardly surprising given the average Rotarian’s love of a tipple or two.

Last year, as President of the Rotary Club of Ilminster, I often visited other clubs in order to support their various fund raising activities and social events.

One such event was held at the home of fellow Rotarian, Peter Woodward, then President of the Crewkerne Club, hence my introduction to Wayford Vineyard.

Although there are several up and coming wine producers in the south west I was delighted to discover that we had one almost literally on the doorstep, just a stone’s throw from Crewkerne of all places.

The idea for the venture came about in 2007 when local farmer, John Wyatt, urged on by his friend, Peter Woodward, agreed to turn a suitable field into a vineyard.

After a talk at the Crewkerne Rotary Club by a local vineyard owner plans were set into motion to form a consortium of 10 couples to fund the project and provide the necessary labour for the manual tasks that lay ahead.

Rotarians made up half of the group, the remainder being close neighbours and friends, all with varied professions and skills; a big adventure was about to begin and the dream of

the future production of a fine quality sparkling wine was on the way to being realised, although as yet some way off.

The field chosen was south facing and sloping, to take advantage of what little sun we get in this country, overlooking the Axe Valley and the Roman Hill fort of Pilsden Pen, just across the border into Dorset.

Several of the members ‘plotted’ the field which was 1.7 hectares in size and kidney shaped. There were to be 101 rows of varying lengths.

Planting began on 24th April 2007 and one week later with the help of willing relatives, and a dog or two, all 3,235 vines of the notoriously difficult Pinot Noir, a classic Champagne grape variety, had been planted by hand and watered, and rabbit guards and support canes put in place.

It was then a question of waiting for the first shoots to emerge, and time to enjoy some much needed rest, letting nature take its course.

After seeking advice from other vineyards, tasks were divided up amongst the members, who each took on a ‘specialist’ responsibility. Each couple also became responsible for the ground maintenance and tending of the vines for their own ‘plots’, which were rotated on a yearly basis.

Above all the aim was for members to have a mutual (albeit expensive) hobby, to keep fit and have fun. In hindsight, no-one had quite realised just how much hard work it would turn out to be.

Finally, in 2014, the fruits of their labour materialised and the ripe Pinot Noir grapes were harvested by hand over three days in mid October.

With an award winning vintner on board to make the wine for the vineyard it was then a matter of waiting for it to mature for a minimum of two years.

A bronze medal was awarded to the vineyard in a recent South West Vintners Association competition; the first success for such a new marque.

Although made by the traditional method used for making Champagne, where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, protected status prevents the term being used for wines produced outside this designated area of France.

The good news for those of us who are quick off the mark is that this ‘Quality Sparkling Wine’ will shortly be released for sale, but with only 100 cases produced I predict that it will fly off the shelves, if it ever gets that far!

Tasting notes for this 2014 Sparkling Brut (11.5% abv), reveal that it is pale gold in colour, with a typical biscuit finish on the nose, and ripe red apples and strawberries on the palate.

Next year double the quantity of wine will be available to sell as the vines are continuing to mature, year by year, and produce more grapes.

Wayford Vineyard will be selling the wine, which comes in at £23 a bottle, at Crewkerne Farmers Market on 17^thDecember or by appointment with Barbara Woodward Tel. 01460 74321 or barbaramwoodward@hotmail.co.uk

Tell them you love them before it is too late

Rather sadly I have attended an inordinate number of funerals in recent weeks and months. One could be forgiven for thinking that as we get older our nearest and dearest are bound to start departing this mortal earth. That may well be the case for those who have had the privilege of reaching a ripe old age, but I am finding that many seem to have breathed their last long before their time should have been up, not quite reaching their ‘three score and ten’ as Shakespeare would say.

This is one of the reasons I do try to live every day as if it were my last; but then I do not have the responsibility of a spouse or partner, or parents or children. I have however given much thought over the years to my demise and just how I would like things to be. This became even more poignant this last week with the headline news of the young girl who wanted to have her body cryogenically stored in the hope that one day she may be unfrozen when they have found a cure for whatever ailed her. The controversy seemed to stem from a spat between her father and mother over what should happen. My personal view is that my body is my own and I will choose what happens to it, thank you very much. Likewise, having had a fairly full and eventful life, I hope that whenever my time is up I shall have the good sense to go gracefully, and look forward to a much needed rest, wherever I end up.   

In conversations with those who have been terminally ill, and in consideration of the subsequent plans for their funerals, burial, cremation or memorial service I am always surprised by how few, with time to prepare, choose not to do so. This can pose something of a burden for those left behind, along with the desire ‘to do the right thing’. 

Living alone I am all too aware of the onerous task that will fall upon the executors of my will. I have had experience, not the most pleasant I admit, of those who die without leaving a will, and it can be a costly, time consuming, and contentious situation to untangle.  

It is for all of these reasons that although I have no immediate plans to make my exit, I have been planning my own funeral arrangements for some time. The best funerals I have attended, if there can be such a thing, are those where whoever is conducting the service, and those who contribute, manage to capture the very essence of the person. On more than one occasion members of the congregation have been surprised to learn something new, if all rather too late for it to be fully appreciated by those who cared for them.

Whilst a packed church or crematorium can be seen as testament to a person’s perceived value in life, would it not be much better if we all took the time in our busy lives to let those who play a part in our lives, however small, know how much we love them, and how valued they are, before it is too late. 

When was the last time you picked up the phone, wrote a letter (?!) sent a cheery text message, or better still, gave them a visit? Go on, do it. Now. Life is too short for ‘If only’.

Christmas Craft Fairs

(Photo - Hilary Mead-Durrant hosted a craft fair at Chaffcombe Village Hall to raise funds for CRY (Cardiac Rick in the Young).

Ilminster’s celebrated Victorian Evening, held on the third Friday in November, certainly sets the scene for kick-starting the Christmas season. Despite the inclement weather this year it was great to see so many people out and about, and all of the shops looking splendid, putting on a real show and helping to encourage visitors into the town. I am always pleased that, despite tougher times financially, the town still feels that it is important to support the Christmas lights. 

In the run up to Christmas I find that several times a week I am visiting local craft fairs, often several in one day. These are usually held in village halls and in addition to supporting whatever the cause may be, I find that such craft fairs and events are a really good source of locally produced goods and produce. 

My last haul included jolly Santa napkins, a glittery evening bag, handmade stockings, scented lavender bags, homemade mince pies and chutney - Christmas gifts galore. My ever expanding waistline is also testament to the difficulty I have in avoiding temptation when bacon butties and scrumptious meringues are on offer (Ashill village hall if you were wondering), as well as the usual tombolas (where I won a bottle of Pimm’s) and raffles. 

Our schools will also be putting on a variety of events and activities to delight the parents, carers and proud grandparents of our youngsters; how sad it is that nowadays, due to child protection issues, we are unable to record these moments for posterity.

Churches will certainly want to look their best, and volunteers will be hard at it to produce splendidly festive displays, surely using skills passed on by Angie Blackwell who has been busy doing demonstrations. At The Minster in Ilminster the Christmas Tree Festival, held from 4^th to 10^th December, will undoubtedly draw in the crowds to admire the beautifully decorated trees, with each one benefiting a local charity from the donations made. I am always amazed at the ingenious ways in which the trees are designed to attract our attention.

For my part, in addition to supporting Rotary with their carol singing pub crawl on the 15^th, I shall be hard at work putting together a quiz to test the brains in Broadway on the 10^th December to raise much needed funds for the church. Last year I wore my reindeer suit; this year I have been asked to refrain from doing so. I can’t think why?!     

With so much going on, and with such dedicated community involvement from all concerned, there can be no doubt that our market towns and villages, despite having the odds against us at times with road works, and floods and funding cuts, are all set to continue to thrive.