Month: October 2018

Since early this year a dedicated group drawn from organisations across Watchet, and spearheaded by the Royal British Legion, have been planning to mark the end of hostilities in 1918 in a special and fitting way.

From 1 November until the Remembrance Service on 11 November, most days will feature an event or activity which commemorates the tragic events of 1914-1918 and Watchet’s part in these events, whilst on the Sunday of the 11 November all churches in Watchet will combine to hold their services at Watchet Methodist Church at 10.00am rather than holding the traditional afternoon parade and service. At 11.00 am the service will mark the end of hostilities at the Town’s War Memorial with concluding prayers and the traditional period of silence.

Our traditional parade, led by West Somerset Brass Band, will move off from the Esplanade at 9.30am through the Town for the service at 10.00am and all organisations who wish may take part in this parade.

Through the 11 days leading up to the parade the following events have been planned:

Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd

• Prayers at Watchet Methodist Church: noon. Unveiling of “The Watchet Tommy”

Saturday 3^rd

• Animals of WWI on Esplanade: 11.00am – 1.00pm.
• Exhibition of memorabilia of Watchet residents involved in WW1 at Phoenix Centre.

Sunday 4th

•  Exhibition of memorabilia of Watchet residents involved in WW1 at Phoenix Centre.
• All churches in Watchet to include prayers to mark the impending centenary.

Wednesday 7th

• Presentation: PoWs of West Somerset in WW1 at The Sanctuary.

Thursday 8th

• Presentation at St. Decuman’s “Lest we forget.”

Friday 9th

• Watchet Film Society “Oh what a lovely war.” 7.00pm

Saturday 10th

• Exhibition of memorabilia of Watchet residents involved in WW1 at Phoenix Centre. Soup and roll lunch at Salvation Army noon to 2.00pm.

Sunday 11^th 

• Parade and Service. Parade 9.30am, service at Watchet Methodist Church 10.00am
• Congregate for 11am 2 minutes silence at War Memorial
• Exhibition of memorabilia of Watchet residents involved in WW1 at Phoenix Centre
• Unveiling of the Poppy from the Tower of London donated by the Masonic Lodge at the Council Offices

For further details contact Rev. Vincent Woods on 01984 634681.

Today we celebrate National Poetry Day! And we couldn’t do that without giving a specific mention to none other than Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Watchet and Coleridge are connected by his longest major poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, written in 1797-98.

Watchet harbour became the inspiration for this epic poem as he walked over the Quantock Hills from his home in Nether Stowey, along with his friends William and Dorothy Wordsworth, and came upon Watchet. It has been said that looking down at the town from St. Decuman’s Church gave him the inspiration for his poem.

The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill
Below the lighthouse top.

A seven-foot high effigy of the mariner was designed and created by sculptor Alan B. Herriot, of Penicuik, Scotland, cast by Powderhall Fine Art Foundries in Edinburgh and unveiled by Dr. Katherine Wyndham in 2003. When you’re visiting be sure to see this statue on the Esplanade.

Why not pop into the Visitor Centre on Harbour Road to pick up a copy of Contains Art’s edition of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (£12) and take it to the Esplanade with you!