Category: Travel

Things to do in Half Term, Watchet 2021

Looking forward to Half Term?

Whether you love having the kids home for a week or dread it, I can guarantee you’ll be looking for something to do with them!

Saturday 29th May, Rope Making, 10.30am – 2pm, Boat Museum
Join us in the Boat Museum where Chris will teach you how to make your very own piece of rope! Great fun and you get to keep your rope as a lovely souvenir! Admission and rope making is free of charge. Donations welcome.

Wednesday 2nd June, Watchet Market, 9.30am – 4pm, the Esplanade
Loads of market stalls, crafts, gifts and local produce. All taking place on the beautiful Esplanade in Watchet. Subject to covid restrictions.

Wednesday 2nd June, Walks and Talks with the Bell Man
11am at the Visitor Centre, £6 per person under 12’s free. A quirky look at the history and places of interest. Ably guided by the Watchet Bell Man with shanty singing on route. Walk is approximately 2 hours covering 2,5 miles. Suitable for wheel chairs and mobility scooters. Booking essential, Subject to covid guidelines.

Saturday 5th June, Rope Making, 10.30am – 2pm, Boat Museum
Join us in the Boat Museum where Chris will teach you how to make your very own piece of rope! Great fun and you get to keep your rope as a lovely souvenir! Admission and rope making is free of charge. Donations welcome.

Sunday 6th June, Street Fair, 10am – 4pm, the Esplanade
Loads of stalls and activities for all the family including live music, stalls, fun activities and local produce. All taking place on the beautiful Esplanade in Watchet.

Picnic at Splash Point, anytime!
Bring you own picnic, pick up some sandwiches from any of our wonderful cafes and deli, or some fish and chips from the Harbour Fish Bar. Then take a short stroll up to Splash Point which boasts breath taking views across the harbour, marina and town!

Crabbing off the Harbour Wall, when the tide is in!
Take your crab line and bucket and enjoy hauling in your catch!

Paddling in the Tidal Pool on West Street Beach.
Great for a safe paddle when the tide is out!

What are you looking forward to?

BOOKING A HOLIDAY…………YEAH!

Very soon we will all be able to go on holiday. Wales, Scotland and England all have different opening up dates, but the important one for us here in West Somerset is the 12th April. This is the earliest date that you will be able to take a break in self catering accommodation. So if you’re planning to get away at your earliest convenience best make sure you’ve booked with someone who will honour your booking if for any reason it all changes for the glorious 12th!

Speaking with a friend who works at one of the local holiday parks I was informed that caravan sales have been steady all through lock down with people buying using virtual tours to make their decisions. I was also told that holiday bookings were going really well with some weeks completely booked up already.

So it looks like it could be quite a busy season. I’m sure that it will start slowly  (I wouldn’t want to book for the 12th and find I might not be able to get away) but the momentum is already building.

RIDING THE TRAIN…………YEAH!

The West Somerset Railway is re-opening on Saturday 22nd May. Great news for all those in need of a train fix. I was however upset to discover that although the WSR is reopening, the limited service will not get as far as Watchet! The first trains will run from Bishops Lydeard to Williton and return. The plan is that as Government restrictions are lifted the train service will extend to Watchet and Blue Anchor on Saturdays. It is hoped that by July the whole line will be available. The line needs to be fully open for September so that the 1940’s weekend can go ahead. YEAH!

VISITING THE MUSEUM…………YEAH!

The Watchet Boat Museum and Market House Museum will be open from the 17th May.

NEW FOR 2021…………YEAH! YEAH! YEAH?

The new East Quay development is due to open during the summer. With 12 workshops, a papermill, geology lab. art gallery, café and with plenty to do for the family, the East Quay will be the place to visit this summer.  YEAH!

Watchet Marina has new owners and they are promising great things. Looking forward to saying goodbye to the mud and ‘Hello’ to the Sailors!!   YEAH!

Your visit!  See you in the Visitor Centre…………..YEAH?

Here comes 2021….

It all starts the year before………

In January we publish the Welcome to Watchet leaflet. The biggest part of the leaflet is the Calendar, the diary of events, the Whats on in Watchet! We spend the end of the winter collating all the local information about dates and whats happening and when. The leaflet then goes off for production and at the end of February a lovely glossy leaflet arrives for distribution. This is handed out all over West Somerset, taken to leaflet events, delivered to businesses and Visitor Centres countywide.

Our delivery arrives………..

In February 2020 I received 15,000 leaflets for distribution. We had no idea what was to follow very quickly after that delivery.

And mayhem begins…………..

Sorry we have to cancel Watchet Summer Time!

Sorry the Street Fairs will have to be cancelled!

Sorry we have to cancel Watchet Carnival!

Sorry we have to cancel Watchet 40s Weekend!

Sorry we are cancelling the Market until further notice!

Sorry we’re closing the pubs…………………….Nooooooooo!

Due to Covid-19 Watchet has had to cancel all of its amazing events and activities over the past 6 months.

PARTY CENTRAL

Known locally as ‘Party Central’, Watchet has reverted to a quiet harbour town. The tourists have visited and most have enjoyed the peacefulness that this town has to offer, the safety of a town that has fortunately missed much of the horrors of the pandemic. But for those of us who are used to a town full of action and fun, for those of us who love the normal weekends of activity and mayhem it feels like we are a town in waiting, a town waiting to emerge from the chrysalis of Covid 19. Watch out 2021 the residents and regular visitors of Watchet are itching to take central stage once more. Watchet the coiled spring of West Somerset feels ready to be released, ready to emerge once more into the amazing, lively, fun filled place it can be!

There are rumors of new things to be added to an already full calendar.  Of Fringe Festivals, of Reenactment weekends, of Drama and YES things will need to be different, but with so much time to forward plan we are all hoping that events organisers can start to make arrangements, can start to make announcements. The dates of the Watchet Festival have been announced this week and we wait for all the other groups to start adding their voice.

Over to you………….

If anyone has anything to add to the 2021 calendar please contact me I’m itching to get started. Here’s to a bigger and better line up, more events more fun and far lest Covid -19.

PS. If anyone has any ideas what I can do with 15,000 Whats NOT on in Watchet leaflets 2020 let me know!!!!

 

Watchet & the Ancient Mariner!
Places to eat & drink!
Visit East Quay!
Fossil hunting and rock pooling!
Art in Watchet
Live Music!
Three Museums to visit!
Visit the shops!
Visit St Decumans Church & the Holy Well
Arrive in style. West Somerset Railway.