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Reach new heights.
2 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
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Welcome ..................................................................................... 5
Events.................................................................................... 6,7,9
Shopping in Yeovil................................................................. 10,11
Octagon Theatre ........................................................................ 13
Yeovil Vision Projects .................................................. 15,16,17,19
Somerset Art Weeks .................................................................. 21
Aerosystems .............................................................................. 22
AgustaWestland......................................................................... 23
Yeovil District Hospital........................................................... 24,25
South Somerset Food Festival ................................................... 26
Discover South Somerset .......................................................... 27
Community Grants ..................................................................... 29
Yeovil In Bloom .......................................................................... 31
Yeovil Map ............................................................................ 32,33
Yeovil College ............................................................................ 34
University Centre Yeovil ............................................................. 35
People’s Lottery and Yeovil Country Park .................................. 37
Yeovil’s Sporting Achievements........................................ 38,39,41
Innovation Centre.................................................................. 42,43
Golden Oldies ....................................................................... 44,45
Town Centre Management .................................................... 46,47
Yeovil Brass Band ...................................................................... 49
Yeovil’s Space Suit..................................................................... 51
Yeovil’s Primary Care Trust/Winter Health Advice ................. 52,53
Tourist Information Centre.......................................................... 54
Museum Of South Somerset ...................................................... 55
Green Tips For Christmas .......................................................... 56
St Margaret’s Hospice/Light Up A Life........................................ 57
Yeovil Library ............................................................................ 59
Day In The Life Of A Beat Officer ............................................... 60
Development of Yeovil Bus Station............................................. 61
Useful Numbers .................................................................... 62,63
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that information included
in this publication is accurate, Yeovil Vision cannot accept liability to
any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions.
All information is correct at the time of publication, please check with
individual businesses for times and admission charges.
Page 22
Page 54
Page 34
Page 35
Page 16
Page 38
Page 10
Contents
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 3

Delivering the Yeovil Vision
Yeovil Town Council is a locally elected nationally accredited Quality
Council which delivers a wide range of services to the people of
Yeovil.
The Town Council also undertakes a variety of partnership work with a
number of local, regional and national organisations, which helps to
secure additional funding and to deliver co-ordinated services and
improvements for the benefit of Yeovil.
This includes the Yeovil Vision, of which the Town Council is proud to
be an active partner.
4 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
“Working for a better Yeovil”
Yeovil Town
Council

Welcome to Vision
Welcome to the first edition of Vision, a new
lifestyle and informative magazine for the town
of Yeovil.
When I took up the role of Vision projects
director in 2007, I felt the town was missing a
publication which championed the many
positive aspects of living and working in Yeovil.
As a relative newcomer, I am continually
surprised at how much the town has to offer
and the apparent low profile it has outside
Somerset.
In looking to the future, I feel it is important to
lift the profile of the town and be proud and
confident about what has been achieved
to-date. In addition to covering interesting
stories about the town and its people, the
magazine will also contain an events guide,
town centre information and a review of current
and future Yeovil Vision projects.
I would like to thank all the people who have
contributed to this first edition, and particularly
the team at the Western Gazette who have
collaborated with Yeovil Vision to make it
possible. I hope you enjoy Vision and if you
have any feedback or suggestions for features
or stories for the next edition, which will be
published in early 2009, please contact me at
the Yeovil Vision office. Details are available
online at www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Alan Brown
Welcome
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 5

Events
6 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Markets
Tuesday and Friday weekly markets are held
in Middle Street, Yeovil. Contact 01935
845946.
Friday weekly WI Market is held between
8.30am and 2pm in the Church rooms, St
John’s. Contact 01823 284261.
Yeovil Flower and
Gardeners’ Market
Following last year’s successful event, Yeovil
Town Council – with the support of Yeovil
Town Centre Partnership and the Gardens
Group at Brimsmore – is staging another
Flower and Gardeners’ Market.
The event will take place in Yeovil Town
Centre (in and around The Triangle) on
Saturday 13 September 2008 between 10am
and 4pm.
A variety of stalls will be provided on a
horticultural/gardening theme with prices to
suit all pockets.
Entertainment has been arranged to suit all
ages, including:
Flower and Vegetable show in the Methodist
Hall
Yeovil in Bloom Gardening Competition –
presentation of prizes
Music in the Performing Arts Area – featuring
Yeovil Town Band
Competitions
Children’s Activities
The event provides an ideal opportunity for
local producers, clubs and organisations to
promote their products and attract new
members. For further details, contact the
Town Council on 01935 382424 or email
sally.bing@southsomerset.gov.uk
Christmas
Christmas Lights Switch on
The light switch-on countdown takes place on
Thursday 13 November in the Quedam
Shopping Centre at 6.30pm.
There will be a feast of fun and live
entertainment, joined by the Mayor, Father
Christmas and the Octagon pantomime cast
of Sleeping Beauty, as they light up the town.
Midwest Radio will be broadcasting live on
stage from the Quedam Centre starting from
4pm. Stay tuned to Midwest Radio for regular
updates.
Don’t forget to cut out a coupon from the
Western Gazette (or buy one on the night) to
get a free chocolate advent calendar.

Other activities include fairground rides and
stalls, hot food and drink.
After the switch on take advantage of the
late night opening and visit stores throughout
the town to get ahead with your shopping and
snatch some early bargains.
Visit Santa in his grotto
Late night Thursday shopping (until 9pm) on
Thursday 13, 20, 27 November and Thursday
4, 11 and 18 December and take the children
to visit Santa in his grotto in Denners
Department Store.
Christmas markets
Sunday opening on the 16, 23, 30 November
and the 7, 14 and 21 December.
Many of the towns retailers get involved
with late night opening and Sunday trading
but it is best to check with specific stores if
making a special journey.
Sunday opening
Christmas Sunday markets will be held in
Middle Street, Yeovil on Sunday 23 and
Sunday 30 November and Sunday 7
December and Sunday 14 December.
Contact 01935 845946.
Christmas Week markets will be held in
Middle Street, Yeovil on Friday 19 December,
Saturday 20 December, Sunday 21
December, Monday 22 December, Tuesday
23 December and Christmas Eve. Contact
01935 845946 for more information.
Late night shopping
On Thursday 11 December Santa arrives at
Denners department store in the High Street
at 6.30pm. Once there he’ll settle into his
grotto ready to meet local children. For more
details and opening times, check with the
store.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 7
Events

Shopmobility Yeovil Somerset is a scheme providing powered scooters, as well as powered and
manual wheelchairs to enable people with limited mobility to shop and use other pleasure/leisure
facilities in Yeovil
Our aim is to enable people with mobility impairments to take increasing control of their own
affairs and to pursue personal choice, to advance and improve their quality of life.
Anyone with limited mobility can use Shopmobility, whether through permanent or temporary
disability, illness, accident or age. You do not have to be disabled to use the service.
Services Available
•Electric Scooter Hire
3 & 4 wheel electric scooters available for daily hire. £2.50 for 3 hours,
£1 an hour thereafter. A £5.00 refundable deposit required.
•Electric Scooter Long-term Hire
3 & 4 wheel electric scooters available for long-term hire. £25 a week plus a £50.00
refundable deposit.
•Power Wheelchair Hire
Available for daily hire. £2.50 for 3 hours, £1 an hour thereafter. A £5.00 refundable
deposit required. Fitted with rear controls allowing enabler operation.
•3rd Wheel Manual Wheelchair Hire
Available for daily hire. £2.50 a day. A £5.00 refundable deposit required.
•Manual Wheelchair Hire
Available for daily hire. £1.00 a day. A £5.00 refundable deposit is required.
•Manual Wheelchair Long-term Hire
Available for long-term hire. £1.00 a day. A £25.00 deposit is required.
Open Mon - Fri 10am - 4.30pm
Sat 10am - 1pm*
8 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
CHRISTMAS EXTRA OPENING TIMES
Late night shopping - Thursday 13th, 20th and 27th November and
4th, 11th and 18th December
Sunday Christmas Markets by prior booking only
You can find us in the lower lift lobby of the Quedam Shopping Centre Car Park
(At ground level the lifts are adjacent to Iceland & BHS)
For the latest information on opening times and services please call us on 01935 420889
or visit our website: www.yeovilshopmobility.co.uk
or call in:
Yeovil Shopmobility, Lower Ground Floor, Quedam Shopping Centre, Yeovil BA20 1EY
Registered charity number 1122278

Other Events
Somerset Art Weeks
From Saturday 13 September to Sunday 28
September Somerset Arts Week will be taking
place. For more information and a list of
events taking place in the area, visit
www.somersetartworks.org.uk
South Somerset Food Festival
Saturday 27 September to Sunday 5 October
South Somerset Food Festival. For more
information, visit www.southsomerset
foodfestival.com
Level’s Best Award Winning Food and Craft
Market
Between 10-2pm on Saturday 27 September,
Saturday 25 October, Saturday 15 November
and Saturday 13 December, the Level’s Best
Award Winning Food & Craft Market is taking
place at Old Stable Courtyard, Montacute
House.
Merry Widow
Monday 6 October to Sunday 12 October
Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society present
Merry Widow at the Octagon Theatre.
Jazz & Jewels Charity Night
On Friday 10 October 7.30pm-11pm. Jazz &
Jewels at The Ivel Barbarians Rugby
Club,Yeovil. Music by Hot Flush coupled with
a charity sale of jewellery by Yeovil Based
designer. Proceeds will be donated to St
Margaret's Somerset. Tickets cost £10 each
to include glass of wine and nibbles. Further
details available from St Margaret’s
Fundraising office 01935 709485.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 9
Events

Shopping in Yeovil
Retail therapy –
back to the future
We could be on the verge of a
largely unforeseen twist in how
the nation shops and Yeovil could
well be leading the way in this
revolution, says the manager of
the Quedam Shopping Centre,
David Mills.
In a twist that would be fitting
in the best Hollywood movie,
several seemingly unconnected
issues such as fuel cost rises,
environmental issues and even
the advent of free bus passes for
mature customers, could all
combine to make for a surprise
ending with an opportunity for
towns like Yeovil to be a new
type of retail hub.
It seems impossible that the
rise in fuel prices could actually
be of benefit to anyone, except
the oil producers, but there are
already strong indicators pointing
to people using their cars less
often to travel long distances.
The reasons for this trend are
complex and partly involve
people being more
environmentally conscious as
well as the advent of free
off-peak bus travel for the
over-60s, but rising fuel costs
now seem to be a factor many
customers weigh up when
thinking of travelling outside their
local area.
10 www.yeovilvision.co.uk

Towns like Yeovil could well
benefit from this trend as
although no one would
pretend they offer everything
you can get in a big city or
mega mall, they do offer an
impressive array of shopping,
without travelling long
distances (and with the
prospect of even better
shopping and leisure facilities
in the pipeline).
David Mills would not be
surprised if we were on the
cusp of a long term change in
the nation’s shopping
patterns.
David said: “Factors like
fuel costs are already making
people question how many
long-distance journeys they
make and this could mean
bad news for large cities and
mega-centres, who depend
on a lot of people travelling
an hour or more to visit them.
“Yeovil needs to respond to
this and provide the type of
resources and shopping that
satisfy customers’ aspirations
and give people less need to
go out of the area.
“In this respect the Yeovil
Vision is right on cue to
enable the change Yeovil
needs.”
So what of the rise in the
number of vacant units in
Yeovil and the rise of the
internet; do they both not
herald darker times ahead for
Yeovil?
David does not see it that
way. In fact, he sees the
internet as another
unexpected ally in the years
ahead. He said: “It is true that
more units are empty this
year and some are more
noticeable as they are
bunched together, or in the
case of Somerfield, in a
prominent location, but Yeovil
is still doing better than most
places, as a visit to most
other towns the same size or
larger will prove.
“As for the internet, I think
it could be an ally of places
like Yeovil in the new retail
reality. If you can get most of
what you want in Yeovil and
top up your shopping
requirements occasionally
online, why would you want
to venture that far from home
to shop?”
There is one note of
caution; other towns like
Yeovil will be trying to adapt
themselves in the same way
for the new retailing reality,
as there is only a finite
amount of money in the
regional economy. Whether
Shopping in Yeovil
David Mills, Quedam Centre manager
Yeovil is at the forefront of
this new retail revolution, or is
merely left behind by more
proactive towns, will depend
largely on how quickly it can
adapt and how well the town
promotes itself.
Every town and city in the
land is subject to the ebb and
flow of national and economic
trends, but what really makes
the difference between
whether a town rises or falls,
is the mindset of it people.
Ideas and plans count for
nothing if the local people are
not positive and proactive
about their own town.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 11

FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR THE JEEP CHEROKEE RANGE IN MPG: URBAN 24.1 – 26.4, EXTRA
URBAN 37.7 – 40.4, COMBINED 31.4 – 33.6. CO2 EMISSIONS IN G/KM 222 - 242.
MODEL SHOWN IS A JEEP CHEROKEE 2.8 CRD LIMITED (MANUAL) WITH AN ON THE ROAD COST OF £24,595. PRICE INCLUDES ROAD FUND
LICENCE (£210 - £400) AND FIRST REGISTRATION FEE (£55). PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS (08/08).
12 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
It’s all about choice
Denners of Yeovil are pleased to support the Yeovil Vision Project
Denners of Yeovil are pleased to participate in Yeovil's Choice Awards.
Visit Yeovil's premier department store for famous fashion brands,
cosmetics, homeware, furniture, cookshop and much more.
Visit Yeovil’s premier department store for famous fashion brands,
cosmetics, homeware, furniture, cookshop and much more.
EYE CATCHING STYLE AND VALUE
High Street Yeovil 01935 444 444 www.beales.co.uk
Olds Yeovil
Sherborne Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 4HA
01935 429 700

The show must go on at the Octagon Theatre
The Octagon Theatre in
Yeovil is South Somerset’s
flagship cultural venue, with
250 performances and more
than 83,000 visits every year.
Presenting a mixed
programme by both
professional companies and
local groups, including Yeovil
Town Band and Yeovil
Amateur Operatic Society,
the theatre is at the heart of
the regeneration plans for
Petters Way and the
development of the Creative
Industries sector in the town.
In 2007, South Somerset
District Council
commissioned a feasibility
appraisal to assess the future
options for the theatre, which
indicated the benefits of a
new studio, gallery, rehearsal
spaces and meeting rooms,
as well as increasing daytime
usage.
These recommendations
will feed into the master plan
that will be created for the
entire Petters Way
redevelopment.
Meanwhile, in order to
maintain the high standards
that customers have come to
expect of the theatre, work
was undertaken on the
existing infrastructure of the
building throughout the
summer of 2008.
The disabled toilet was
made larger to comply with
DDA requirements; the
lighting backstage was
upgraded; the 30-year-old
roof over the auditorium was
re-covered, and a new scene
dock was built to the
left-hand side of the stage
which will provide larger
storage and wing space for
visiting companies.
Further work is scheduled
for the summer of 2009,
when new air handling is to
be installed in the auditorium,
which will improve patrons’
experience of the theatre
immeasurably.
With South Somerset
District Council providing
Yeovil’s Flagship
Theatre
about £750,000 to undertake
the work, it is clear how
highly the local authority
rates the importance of
operating first-rate leisure
facilities for its residents.
Tickets for the autumn
season, which starts on
Wednesday 1 October, are
available from the Octagon
Theatre box office on 01935
422884, or visit the website
www.octagon-theatre.co.uk
where a full list of what’s on
can also be found.
As is the theatre’s aim,
there is something for
everyone, from Spirit of the
Dance and Kate Rusby, to
this year’s festive pantomime
Sleeping Beauty.
For more than 30 years,
the Octagon Theatre has
been entertaining the
residents of the area and with
the recent improvements and
future plans, there is no
reason why that cannot
continue for many more
years to come.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 13

Yeovil College ... Your College
Come and join our exciting and friendly college, with our
new £5.7m Leonardo Building and our extensive range of
courses.
We can offer you:
Highly trained specialist staff
The skills employers need
and a large selection of courses including:
• GCSEs, A & AS Levels and Vocational courses
• Apprenticeships
• Part-time day & evening classes
• Business Training
You can also study university-level courses
at our University Centre Yeovil (UCY).
We have:
• A small friendly campus
• Caring supportive staff
• Cash bursaries
• Excellent success rates
To view our e-prospectus visit our website at
www.yeovil.ac.uk
or for a copy call 01935 423921
14 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Yeovil College Mudford Road, Yeovil BA21 4DR

Moving Yeovil
forward
“Yeovil cannot
stand still – the
process of change
is accelerating with
the town centrally
placed in one of the
UK’s fastest
growing regions.”
Alan Brown, Yeovil
Vision projects
director.
Yeovil is an ambitious town
that looks forward to the
future with the strap line, the
heart of the country the mind
of a city. Yeovil Vision reflects
the desire for change and its
objective and ambition is to
deliver high-quality projects
that will enhance the quality
of life for residents and
visitors.
Currently there are more than
20 wide-ranging projects and
themes being actively
pursued, including retail and
leisure developments,
opportunities to revitalise the
economy and improvements
to the town’s infrastructure.
Yeovil from the air.
Public consultation at 80 South Street, Yeovil Vision Offices.
A process of change and
some of the exciting Yeovil
Vision projects are featured
in more detail in this copy of
Vision. Yeovil Vision is
funded by Yeovil Town
Council, South Somerset
District Council, Somerset
County Council and the
South West Regional
Development Agency, and
also works closely with The
Galaxy Group a public/private
partnership which comprises
representatives from a
number of local businesses
and other key organisations
such as Yeovil College,
Yeovil Hospital and South
Somerset Homes.
I was appointed projects
director in 2007 with the
exciting task of turning the
Vision into reality by moving
projects from drawing board
Yeovil Vision
Projects
to physical delivery.
The process of change is
accelerating with the town
centrally placed in one of the
UK fastest growing regions. It
has been suggested that over
the next 20 years, Yeovil may
be expected to accommodate
potentially 11,400 new
dwellings.
If agreed this will present a
tremendous challenge,
particularly if the delicate
balance between town and
country is to be maintained.
Perhaps above all it
underlines the importance of
the necessity to plan for the
future and establish a clear,
realistic, and ongoing vision
for Yeovil.
If you would like to know
more about Yeovil Vision,
visit www.yeovilvision.co.uk
or call 01935 462669.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 15

Yeovil Vision
Projects
Yeovil Vision projects
director Alan Brown writes:
As I go about my day to day
business in the town I always
take the opportunity to stop
and ask people whether they
have heard about Yeovil
Vision and what we are trying
to achieve.
Surprisingly not many people
seem to have heard about
Housing
The availability of affordable,
well-designed and
sustainable housing is a key
ingredient for any successful
town of the future.
The Yeovil Urban
Development Framework
highlights that the southern
side of the town is not
meeting its considerable
potential as an attractive
location for living and
expansion of town centre
activities.
There is an opportunity to
create higher-density housing
in close proximity to the town
centre.
To capture and confirm this
potential, Yeovil Vision has
been working in informal
partnership with South
Somerset District Council to
bring forward the
redevelopment of Foundry
House, a vacant three-storey
grade two listed building,
together with the former Mill
Lane Trading Estate.
Following a successful
marketing campaign, ZeroC
Developments has been
selected to redevelop the
site.
ZeroC are proposing a very
exciting mixed-use scheme.
Current proposals include a
ground-floor restaurant within
Foundry House and new
16 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Turning vision into reality – the role of
Yeovil Vision
the Vision and if they have
assume that its not
particularly relevant to them.
This is a shame, although I
appreciate on the face of it
the term Vision may conjure
up an impression of lofty
ambitions with a
head-in-the-sky approach.
In fact, the reality is quite different
and to demonstrate the
practical nature of the Vision’s
development comprising
seven town houses, eight
retail units with 32 flats
above.
Subject to the approval of
planning permission and
completion of legal formalities
between the South Somerset
District Council and ZeroC
Developments, it is hoped
that construction will
commence in early 2009.
Confirming the growing
interest in town centre living,
plans for the long-awaited
development of the town’s
cattle market have also been
Artist’s impression of Foundry House development.
work, I have selected projects
from four key areas of
day-to-day life in Yeovil.
These areas are housing,
road congestion, shopping
and leisure. Details of
particular projects are
explained over the next few
pages.
Find out the latest news on
all Yeovil Vision projects. Visit
www.yeovilvision.co.uk
finalised and submitted for
outline planning consent by
Rok Development.
This project includes a
30-bedroom nursing home,
40 sheltered housing
apartments, 23 town houses,
140 one and two bedroom
flats and 600 square metres
of retail space.
The Outline Planning
application responds to a
development brief for the
Market Street area, which
was prepared by Yeovil
Vision and its Partners in
2007.

Queensway/Reckleford Road, Yeovil.
Road
congestion
In hindsight, the decision to
build an inner ring road
through the centre of Yeovil
in order to solve the problem
of congested through traffic
was probably incorrect.
It was a design decision
that many UK towns and
cities made in the 60s and
70s. Unfortunately, the
Queensway/Reckleford road
now causes major severance
problems, cutting off many of
the historic routes into town
and separating important
sites such as Yeovil College
and Yeovil District Hospital
from the centre.
This taken with the
unprecedented growth and
dominance of the private car
travelling to, from and around
Yeovil has resulted in traffic
problems on a number of key
roads. Top of the list of traffic
bottlenecks is the A30
Reckleford/Sherborne
triangle.
Solving this traffic problem
is a key priority for Yeovil
Vision and a detailed design
Alan Brown, near Yeovil District Hospital.
has been prepared and
negotiations are taking place
with owners of the land,
which will be required for this
improvement scheme.
The completed project will
enable through-traffic
travelling west along the A30
from Sherborne to continue
directly along the Reckleford
highway, without the need to
Yeovil Vision
Projects
enter the eastern end of
Yeovil town centre, thereby
removing the current need to
turn right outside the Western
Gazette building.
Subject to the satisfactory
conclusion of land
negotiations, it is proposed to
complete the Reckleford
highway improvements in
2009.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 17

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01935
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18 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
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Call 01935 477791 for further information
or for a FREE quotation
DR Jones, Willow House, Artillery Rd
Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8RP
Tel: 01935 477791 • Fax: 01935 475817
Email: corporate@drjones.uk.com

Princes Street
Shopping
Although Yeovil is a busy
shopping centre with a large
catchment area, there is a
continuing need to retain
customers and prevent
leakage to other centres such
as Taunton, Exeter and
Bristol.
Perhaps the biggest impact
on shopping in Yeovil in
future years will be the
proposed expansion of the
Quedam Centre.
This is currently the subject
of a detailed planning
application submitted by UBS
Triton Ltd.
This proposal will see the
centre more than double in
size centred on a new
three-anchor department
Leisure
The Country Park is one of Yeovil’s special
but hidden assets, and one of the key aims
of Yeovil Vision is to improve the linkages
between the town and the park.
In order to stimulate improved access, a
pedestrian friendly promenade is proposed
along the parks southern boundary.
The first stage of this promenade will be
provided as part of the redevelopment of
Foundry House and the former Mill Lane
Trading Estate.
Once complete the promenade will form
a link with the existing route between Pen
Mill Station past the Yeo Leisure Centre
and onto Goldenstones and the western
side of town.
It is hoped that providing improved
access point and high-quality
environments in and around Stars Lane
and Summerhouse Terrace will encourage
more people to explore the Country Park.
store. In addition the
application proposes 40 other
shops, including five major
retail units.
However, shopping
patterns are forever changing
and there are concerns that
some parts of the town are
starting to fail and require
support and regeneration.
A good example of
practical support and
intervention is Princes Street,
which is situated in the town’s
historical core and
conservation area.
Initial improvement works
aimed at improving the
environment for shoppers
and other users have
included new paving,
Yeovil Vision
Projects
pavement widening, new wall
mounted streetlights,
improved signage and the
removal of street clutter.
Attention is now switching
to the northern end of Princes
Street and the aim is to
produce a detailed and
costed plan of potential
improvements.
This will enhance and
capture the true potential of
one of Yeovil’s finest streets.
There is potential to
develop Princes Street as a
distinctive independent retail
quarter, thereby increasing
choice and offering a balance
to the normal high street
brands found elsewhere in
the town centre.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 19

TimberKraft
Manufacturers of Quality Custom Built,
Sectional Buildings Made Stronger
Full Erecting
Service
Available
to Last Longer
01935-891007
Phone
Apex Sheds T.G.V. Cladding inc floor & roof
6ft x 4ft £219 7ft x 5ft £275 8ft x 6ft £308
8ft x 8ft £430 10ft x 6ft £419 10ft x 8ft £539
Visit Our Display Areas at Yandle & Son Ltd
(Martock) & Vagg Park, Tintinhull Rd, Yeovil
E-Mail Address:- TimberKraft6987@aol.com
20 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Free Delivery
Service
Available
Stylish
womens wear
from sizes 18-28
01935 424621
69a Princes Street, Yeovil
Open Mon - Sat 9 til 5
Closed Tuesdays
Providing a strong voice for business, practical
support and opportunities to network with
like-minded people.
“ Why should I join?
Chamber membership offers the chance to become involved in a
friendly and effective organisation that can help you improve your own
business as well as representing your interests to key decision makers.
People like to do business with people. Chamber events and
newsletters provide the chance to get to know other members and
keep up to date with what’s happening in the business community.
And if you ever have a business problem, the Chamber is ready to fight
your corner or advise on other sources of help.”
For details on how to become a member and
for the latest Chamber news and events visit our website
www.yeovilchamber.org

Kirsten Cooke: Photography
Get creative during Art Weeks
This year’s Art Weeks will
see a total of 202 venues
with more than 270 artists
taking part.
This is an open-studios
event with artists
demonstrating their practice
and the way they work.
Visitors to the open studios
will be able to meet the
artists, talk to them and
purchase or commission a
favourite piece of artwork
direct.
The event is organised by
SAW (Somerset Art Works)
which exists to promote the
visual arts and create
opportunities for visual artists
and makers in Somerset by
advocacy, marketing and
development.
One of the ways in which
SAW achieves its aim is
through the Art Weeks, which
began in 1994 as a biannual
event but which from 2008 is
being run annually.
Two of the artists on show
during September’s Art
Weeks are from Yeovil.
Kirsten Cooke
Kirsten is a formally trained
photographer with an MA
from Bournemouth, and a BA
from Goldsmiths, and she is
an Associate of the Royal
Photographic Society.
Her discerning eye is used
to great effect through her
special interest art and still
life images. She currently
undertakes professional
portrait, wedding and
commercial assignments.
During the Art Weeks,
Kirsten will be exhibiting her
new work, Faces and
Fragments, which explores
the diverse nature and
growth of culture within the
confines of the market town
of Yeovil.
Enjoy the photographs
while taking the weight off
your feet and indulging in a
scrumptious cake and
delicious coffee at Mocha
Cafe, Yeovil, throughout the
Art Weeks from 10am-5pm.
Cathy Spearing
Cathy Spearing has been an
animal artist for 25 years and
specialises in equine
monochrome pencil drawings
which are noted for their
precise detail to the point of
being photorealistic.
Working for many years
with horses, Cathy has
developed an intimate
knowledge of equine
anatomy and her greatest
love is for the regal majesty
of the Andalucian horse. She
makes regular trips to Spain
to gather reference work at
ferias, breeding studs and
Somerset Art Weeks
13-28 September
Cathy Spearing: Andalucian Horse
concursos.
Prices range from £40
upwards and Cathy accepts
commissions to draw horses,
pets, buildings, landscapes
and gardens. All of her
commissions are undertaken
from photographs which she
prefers to take herself.
Cathy will be exhibiting
during Art Weeks, from
Thursday to Sunday between
11am-6pm at 11 Pound Close
in Yeovil.
For more information,
visit www.somersetartworks.
org.uk
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 21

Aerosystems
Nimrod MRA4 using Aerosystems products.
A global company and a market leader
Tucked away in a corner of
Yeovil is one of Somerset’s
fastest growing export
businesses.
Aerosystems International,
which was established in
Yeovil in 1988 as a joint
venture between Westland
Helicopters and the Sema
Group, now provides its
advanced technology to
customers as far afield as
South Australia, Japan and
North America.
Now a wholly owned
subsidiary of the defence
giant BAE Systems,
22 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Aerosystems products are
being used by many of the
world’s leading defence
companies, such as Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, L3
Communications and a
growing list of international
users.
Aerosystems planning
systems are used throughout
Europe and Japan, and its
high-quality paperless
maintenance systems are
used in North America and
the Middle East.
The customers for
Aerosystems tactical
HMS Daring Sea Trials of Aerosystems advanced technologies.
communications systems
cover the northern and
southern hemispheres, from
Scandinavian to South
Australia.
Aerosystems is developing
in the non-defence market
and soon technology
developed in Yeovil will be
guiding passengers on the
rail link from the new
international airport in Taiwan
to Taipei new rail link.
This incredibly important
local employer is an
international company in
every respect.

AgustaWestland – Leading The Way In
The Clean Sky Programme
AgustaWestland is a major
force in commercial and
military helicopter markets
around the world and offers
an unrivalled range of
helicopters, training and
support solutions to satisfy
customers’ mission
requirements.
AgustaWestland's primary
facilities are located in the
UK, Italy and the USA, with
Yeovil being its main
operational site in the UK.
The company is fully
committed to investing in
technologies and processes
that reduce the impact on the
environment in all phases of
the life-cycle of its rotorcraft,
from manufacturing to final
disposal.
It is not only playing a
major role in the European
Clean Sky Joint Technology
Initiative programme as
co-leader, but is also
investing its own money in
programmes that will deliver
greener aircraft.
Under the umbrella of the
Clean Sky programme
AgustaWestland is
undertaking work in a wide
range of areas including
efforts to reduce external
noise signatures, reduce fuel
consumption and
investigations into green flight
paths. Overall company goals
(consistent with Advisory
Council for Aeronautical
Research in Europe vision for
2020 targets) include a 50
per cent reduction of carbon
dioxide emissions through
drastic reductions in fuel
consumption, an 80 per cent
reduction of nitrous oxides
emissions and a 50 per cent
reduction in external noise.
The research is aimed at the
next generation of vertical-lift
aircraft that will enter service
after 2015 as well as the
possibility to retrofit the
technology into the existing
product range.
Reducing external
helicopter noise is one of the
main areas of study within
the green rotorcraft
programme.
The company is studying
intelligent rotor blade
solutions, including active
blade control and other ideas
to limit the acoustic impact
generated by the blades.
AgustaWestland is leading
AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland
investigations into creating
more environmentally friendly
flight paths to improve green
performance.
This will involve advanced
noise abatement procedures
for take-off and landing for
the purpose of giving
helicopter pilots information
in real-time on their
instrument displays so that
they can select the most
effective approach to fly. This
would not only produce
quieter operations but also
potentially reduce fuel
consumption.
The Green Rotorcraft
programme also includes
research into increased and
more efficient use of
electrical systems onboard
helicopters and also how they
can replace hydraulically
powered systems on the
aircraft.
A company team is
investigating new
technologies to generate and
store energy. One possibility
is the use of fuel cells to
replace auxiliary power units
on larger helicopters.
AgustaWestland is a
Finmeccanica company.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 23

Yeovil District
Hospital
Clean
A clean hospital and spotless
equipment are of the utmost
importance to Yeovil District
Hospital, and the Infection
Control and Prevention Team
are involved in every aspect
of ensuring standards are
achieved and maintained.
YDH has always recognised
the importance of matrons,
with four matrons and six
assistant matrons working
around the clock to ensure
the hospital is as clean as it
can possibly be.
Their work, with the support
of the excellent cleaning
team employed directly by
the trust, has paid off – with
the hospital being named as
the best in the South West for
cleanliness in a recent patient
survey.
Improvements this year
have included the installation
24 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
of hand hygiene stations at
ward entrances, the introduction
of Pipa Media verbal
messaging at ward entrances
to remind staff, patients and
visitors of the importance of
good hand hygiene and
investment in isolation
facilites.
The Clinical Governance
Report carries full details of
all matters related to cleanliness
and infection control.
Visit www.yeovilhospital.
nhs.uk to find out more.
Caring
Staff work hard to be a constantly
improving organisation,
which not only offers a
high standard of healthcare
but an approach which
makes everyone who uses
the trust feel respected, valued
and listened to. iCARE
has been developed at YDH
Top-performing hospital
in the south west is
clean, caring and
responsive
Known to all as YDH, Yeovil District
Hospital is the second biggest employer
in Yeovil and the top-performing hospital
in the South West. The past year has
seen some major achievements for YDH,
including a Best Performing rating for the
maternity unit in the national Maternity
Services Review, and an Excellent
scoring for overall performance in the
Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health
Check. At YDH, they promise to provide:
clear and effective communication
an open, polite and professional attitude
at all times
respect for patients, carers and staff
a clean, safe and friendly environment
to help focus the whole Trust
on key elements of patient
care which our patients and
staff have told us to improve.
iCARE aims to use feedback
from everyone who interacts
with YDH. This will inform
and influence staff behaviour
in order that our care upholds
the principles of effective
communication, positive attitude,
respect for patients,
carers and colleagues and an
environment that is conducive
to care and recovery.
Chief executive Gavin
Boyle said: “iCARE is based
on a simple and old-fashioned
philosophy of treating
people as individuals and
with courtesy and respect.
“I want YDH to be a good
place to work and the best
possible place to be if you
need the services of the NHS
as a patient.”

Yeovil District
Hospital
Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive of Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust, and pictured below, newly installed Hand Hygiene
Stations at ward entrances.
Responsive
Yeovil District Hospital is
proud to be a listening
organisation, taking on
board feedback and
providing a positive and
proactive response, with
the aim of being open to
criticism and constantly
improving the service.
This year, for example,
the trust responded to
feedback from the
Healthcare Commission’s
Improvement Review of
Children’s Services,
which identified a need
for the provision of
paediatric orthopaedic
services closer to home.
YDH has set up a new
paediatric orthopaedic
service, and surgeons
come from Bristol
Children’s Hospital to see
some of the youngest
orthopaedic patients and,
if necessary, carry out
surgery here.
For many more
examples of service
improvements, view the
Annual Report at
www.yeovilhospital.nhs.uk
What’s up, what’s down
in ten years
The budget has doubled, from £42 million
to £92 million
Staff numbers
increased from 1,300 to 1,800
A&E attendances
have increased by 64.4 per cent
Outpatient attendances
have increased by 22.3 per cent
to more than 100,000 per year
The number of patients
being admitted has increased
by more than 20 per cent to
more than 32,000 per year.
Waiting times have come
down from two years to under
18 weeks for patients being
referred for treatment by their
GP; thanks to continued
support from Somerset Primary
Care Trust, the hospital is
aiming to remain ahead of
the game and achieve a
13-week maximum waiting
time by the end of March 2009.
The average length of stay
for many procedures has
decreased. The
typical hospital stay for a hip
replacement has been reduced from 13 days
to five days.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 25

South Somerset
Food Festival
Celebrate the taste of South Somerset
West Country cheese-tastings,
a wild foods day and traditional
cream teas are just some of
the events lined up for this
year’s South Somerset Food
Festival.
Taking place from Saturday
27 September to Sunday 5
October, it looks set to be the
biggest and best festival yet.
Local producers, retailers,
cafes, pubs and restaurants
are already gearing up,
planning special menus,
organising tastings, local
produce markets and farm
walks – all celebrating the best
produce of South Somerset.
Last year more than 5,500
visitors came along to the
event, in a part of the UK
renowned for its fantastic
produce.
26 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Becky Cotterill, South
Somerset District Council’s
tourism marketing officer, said:
“We’ve had so much positive
feedback from festival visitors
and those who take part, we’re
determined that this year’s
festival is going to be even
better.
“Local organisations involved
in growing, making, preparing
and providing great food and
drink will be taking part – from
shops and farms to cafes and
bed and breakfasts, and from
hotels to tourist attractions,
markets and schools.”
Full festival details can be
found at www.southsomerset
foodfestival.com or pick up a
copy of the festival guide from
Yeovil Tourist Information
Centre on 01935 845 946.

Discover
the many
pleasures
South Somerset has
plenty to offer,
whether you’re a local
resident wanting to
while away an hour or
so, or a visitor to the
area wanting to see
some new places and
do some new things
over a leisurely week.
You can see
enchanting gardens,
world-class museums
and beautiful
churches.
Go fishing in rivers
and lakes, explore
country parks and
reservoirs and watch
wildlife and birds.
Take a gentle pace
through a varied
landscape on foot, by
bike or on horseback
and enjoy a colourful
tapestry of fields,
orchards and
woodlands.
Spend an afternoon
at the races or an
evening at the
theatre. And if you
were born to shop,
there are picturesque
villages and market
towns packed with
interesting little shops
and a vibrant
community of artists
and craftspeople.
For further
information, see
Discover South
Somerset 2008. Pick
up a copy from Yeovil
Tourist Information
Centre, on 01935 845
946, or visit
www.visitsouth
somerset.com
Tucked away in the narrow
lanes of the tranquil Somerset
countryside, are a diverse
range of wonderful gardens
that are right on our
doorsteps.
Becky Cotterill, South
Somerset District Council’s
tourism marketing officer, said:
“You can capture something of
the essence of the classic
English garden. Each garden
is among the best of its type
and this year we are happy to
list three new gardens –
Chiffchaffs and Snape
Cottage’s Plantsman’s Garden
which are both in
Chaffeymoor, and the
enchanting Greencombe near
Porlock. Closer to home there
is the award-winning Forde
Abbey, which recently won a
Silver Award in the Enjoy
Discover South
Somerset
The essence of an English garden
England Awards for Excellence.
Forde Abbey was shortlisted in
the Small Visitor Attraction of
the Year category. Winning a
Silver Award means they were
voted the second best small
attraction in the country.
The Classic Gardens
brochure is available from
www.visitsouthsomerset.com,
or tourist information centres:
email yeoviltic@
southsomerset.gov.uk or call
01935 845946.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 27

T hinking of making a
few home improvements
this summer?
At Bradfords we have a whole range of products for all your trade and
DIY needs.
Whether it’s building a wall, landscaping a garden, decorating a room
or even renovating a whole house, our team of experts are on hand to
help, and provide expert advice.
For everything you need visit Bradfords Building Supplies
28 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
At selected branches we have a Tool
Hire Department providing top quality
equipment for building, plumbing,
electrical, gardening and home
maintenance. Special rates for daily,
weekly or weekend hire on all tools.
www.bradfords.co.uk
Bradfords Building Supplies, 100 Hendford Hill, Yeovil, BA20 2QU or Tel. 01935 423311

Countryside Park volunteers.
Proposals to spend money put forward by residents
Yeovil residents have
voted £40,000 of
community funds to be
allocated to area
development and
countryside issues.
Representatives from
local groups came along
to the district council’s
first area south
community forum in June
to suggest how a £40,000
funding pot should be
spent in Yeovil.
Heightened security at
St John’s Churchyard, a
seasonal weekend
countryside ranger and a
dedicated community
worker were just three of
the eight proposals for
spending the money.
Martin Woods, South
Somerset District
Council’s head of area
development South said:
“ We asked people what
issues were most
important.
“More than 30
community
representatives came
along to the first event
and chose area
development and
countryside issues, as the
priorities that should be
addressed.”
The forum event –
which was piloted for one
year after the area south
committee agreed to
allocate £40,000 towards
improvements in the area
– then asked residents to
vote on their proposals.
On Wednesday 2 July,
councillors approved the
proposals, which included
£4,000 to be spent on a
new weekend ranger at
Yeovil Country Park to
cover the summer
months, £3,300 on
training for ten
countryside volunteers to
help with strimming,
woodland management
and summer cutting, and
£12,000 to support a new
part-time community
worker to help community
groups apply for funding
and lead improvement
projects.
Also included was
£5,000 for churchyard
security, £5,000 to recruit
an apprentice to the
countryside team, £5,000
to extend the opening
hours of a local drop-in
centre, and £1,000
towards running eight
play schemes for local
youngsters.
Area community
grants available
Community grants are
available for each area for
voluntary and charitable
organisations, not-for-profit
groups, parish or town
councils and other
organisations that benefit the
wider community.
Applications are
encouraged from community
groups that meet a clearly
identified local need such as
arts, play and play areas;
initiatives and facilities; crime
and disorder reduction; group
development and start up;
community activities and
initiatives; social and
community advice and
support; community buildings,
facilities and equipment;
wildlife and countryside
activities, and museums and
heritage. Supported projects
may be funded up to 50 per
cent of project cost to a
maximum of £12,500.
To find out more about grant
funds, contact your local area
development team on 01935
462462.
Community
Grants
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 29

• all hair & beauty
services
• nail art
• hair extensions
• complementary
therapies
30 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Kingston Wing
Private care in the heart of YDH
A leading West Country accountants
and one of the largest independent
financial advisers in the region.
A complete integrated service offering advice you
can trust for you, your business and your family.
Tax Planning Trusts
Inheritance Tax Pensions
Constructive help for all businesses from start
up to retirement.
Berkeley House, Dix's Field, Exeter, Devon EX1 1PZ
Tel: 01392 214635 Fax: 01392 214690
E-mail: exeter@oldmillgroup.co.uk
The Old Mill, Park Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5BS
Tel: 01749 343366 Fax: 01749 344986
Email: sheptonmallet@oldmillgroup.co.uk
Number One Goldcroft, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 4DX
Tel: 01935 426181 Fax: 01935 431852
Email: yeovil@oldmillgroup.co.uk
www.oldmillgroup.co.uk
A local and convenient personal
service in state-of-the-art clinical facilities.
Kingston Wing is the private unit within the only hospital in the South West to receive a double
rating of ‘Excellent’ from the Healthcare Commission 2007.
The unit has 14 single en-suite rooms, outpatient consulting rooms and a restful waiting area.
The Wing offers a combination of excellent nursing and consultant-led care, together
with immediate access to the hospital’s wide-ranging specialists and equipment,
including all of the diagnostic services on the hospital site. And of course,
Kingston Wing patients enjoy the reassurance of being in a private unit
with emergency care on-site.
Kingston Wing also offers amenity beds whereby any YDH inpatient
can request transfer to a private room during their NHS treatment.
Call Anne Bishop or Hannah Hosking (pictured right) on 01935
384845 if you would like to request a brochure and find out
more about treatment in Kingston Wing or our amenity beds.
You can also visit www.yeovilhospital.nhs.uk and click on
‘Kingston Wing’. All Kingston Wing consultants are listed on
the website, together with direct contact numbers and details
of their waiting times (typically under two weeks).
All Kingston Wing profits are reinvested in mainstream
services at YDH.

Hanging baskets belonging to Geoff Allen of Forde Park.
It’s not just for public spaces
Every year our public spaces
burgeon with the heady mix of
colours, textures and scents of
flowers, shrubs and trees.
These are organised by the
Town Council’s Yeovil in Bloom
initiative, and it’s been highly
praised and highly successful.
In 2007 Yeovil received a Silver
Gilt award for its displays in the
South West in Bloom competition.
But the aim of Yeovil in Bloom is
not simply to beautify our parks,
public spaces, roundabouts and
thoroughfares – it aims to involve
you, your family, friends and your
garden.
So, if you’re green fingered and
plant-potty, why not enter?
Categories include Best Front
Garden; All Year Round; Best
Front Garden; Seasonal, and Best
Hanging Baskets.
Collaborate with friends and
neighbours to plant up your street,
or square to improve your
environment. Encourage birds and
butterflies, make friends, exercise,
have fun – and enter the Best
Neighbourhood Display.
Absolutely everyone in Yeovil
can join in for free. Community
groups such as residents
associations, retirement homes
and community centres can enter
Yeovil In Bloom
the Western Gazette sponsored
Best Community Garden, and
there are many categories on offer
to schools, including wildlife
gardens, formal gardens, floral
displays and art competitions.
Business and retail concerns
can project a friendly and
professional image and give
something back to the community
by entering the Best Hanging
Basket or Best Licensed Premises
Display.
Judging of the displays is held
each July and the award
ceremony takes place in
September as part of Yeovil’s
Flower and Gardener’s Market. So
now is the time to start preparing
for next year’s Yeovil in Bloom
awards.
For more information and
an entry form, call Lesley
Jelleyman on 01935 462837 or
Steve Fox on 01935 462828.
See the 2007/2008 Yeovil in
Bloom Winners at the Yeovil
Flower and Gardener’s Market
on Saturday 13 September
and pick up an entry form for
2009.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 31

Getting around Getting around
32 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 33

Yeovil College
34 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Learning opportunities for all
Yeovil College has certainly
changed a great deal over
the last ten years.
From its earliest days in
1887, to the first principal’s
appointment in 1947
through to today, Yeovil
College is celebrating more
than 50 years as a tertiary
college.
On average around 9,000
students including full,
part-time and employersponsored
individuals, learn
new skills and progress
onto university, employment
and new opportunities.
Over the years
investment in buildings and
resources has resulted in an
attractive and modern
campus, including
high-quality teaching rooms
with interactive white
boards, up to date
equipment, and a superb
study centre, complete with
virtual library and more than
1,500 e-books and
thousands of e-journals.
The college also boasts
two Centres of Vocational
Excellence (CoVE) in
Hospitality and Tourism and
Advanced Engineering;
here students enjoy the
latest in technology,
equipment and teaching
standards to prepare them
for successful careers in
industry.
Success in sports has
never been higher, with
more and more students
being selected to play for
both regional and national
teams. The Beacon award
for the Rugby Academy was
awarded by the RFU in April
this year.
In November 2007, the
college celebrated the
opening of the new
Leonardo building, aiming to
offer high-quality learning
resources to the community
of Yeovil – a £5.7 million
Arts, Engineering and Media
block offering purpose-built
rooms over three floors with
superb equipment and
resources.
Most of the ground floor is
used by engineering
students, while the second
floor features IT and music
practice rooms as well as a
number of new classrooms.
Art and design students
use the top floor, which
contains darkrooms and
facilities for fine art, media
and graphic design courses.
Up to 3,000 students will
use and benefit from the
airy feel of the modern steel
and glass construction –
including a 15 metre,
three-story high glass wall.
James Hampton, principal
of Yeovil College said: “The
working environment is
particularly important for
students who undertake
hands-on, creative projects
and this environment will
help to create inspirational
learning opportunities in
Yeovil.”
The first students to have
benefited from the building
celebrated their
achievements with an
end-of-year art and fashion
show in June this year,
showcasing the highest
standards of students’ work
and broad range of talents.
As applications and exam
results rise year on year, the
future is looking bright for
the college and the
community of Yeovil.
For more information, visit
www.yeovil.ac.uk

Top results at University Centre Yeovil
Did you know that you can
study for a degree here in
Yeovil? It’s true!
The University Centre
Yeovil was first opened on
Preston Road in Yeovil, in
2004, on a separate campus
through a partnership with
Bournemouth University, the
University of Exeter and
Yeovil College.
Today, the UCY offers a
Approximately 1,500 students
are currently studying
through the UCY.
This year will be the largest
graduation ceremony to date,
with about 400 students
graduating and two
ceremonies planned in
October at the Octagon
Theatre.
The UCY caters for all
learners with both full and
part time programmes on
offer. Applications for full time
courses are increasing each
year with applications from
local students as well as
surrounding Sixth Form
schools, plus those from
much further a field.
Part time courses are often
attractive to local employers
who take the opportunity to
encourage their employees to
broad range of degrees,
foundation degrees and professional
courses such as
Management, Personnel
Development, Marketing and
ILEX across a range of
industry sectors.
The year 2008 marks an
exciting year with new partnerships
being developed
with the University of West
England (UWE) to further
work towards higher level
qualifications, as well as
appealing to individuals
returning to work after a
career break and looking to
gain a university-level
qualification.
UCY students benefit from
the friendly, welcoming
campus and levels of support
given by lecturing staff.
Each year results improve
and more students graduate.
Last years graduates
achieved 11 First Class
Honours degrees in subjects
including English and History,
Early Years Care and
Education and Clinical
Nursing (Adult branch). The
students have also been
recognised at national
awards, for the third
consecutive year. Students
University Centre
Yeovil
extend the choice of higher
education programmes available.
Last year there was a further
£1million development of
the University Centre to take
over the top floor increasing
the teaching space to 17
teaching rooms, a 100-seat
lecture theatre, three open
access IT areas, ample parking
and much more.
studying the Foundation
degree in CAD (Graphics and
Packaging) have been
presented prizes at the
National Starpack Awards –
this year students won two
gold’s and a special
commendation for their
packaging designs. Gold star
winners will be invited to
attend the Worldstar Awards
2008, to be held in Tunisia
later this year.
The University Centre
offers the local community an
opportunity to extend skills
and experiences to benefit
Yeovil and the surrounding
area. The development of the
campus extends the
inspirational learning
opportunities available and
plays an important role in the
future of Yeovil and its vision.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 35

Part of theYeovil Community
Past...
Present...
Future...
Visit our new factory shop
Pittards Plc, Sherborne Road, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 5BA
www.pittardsleather.com
36 www.yeovilvision.co.uk

Yeovil’s superb award-winning parks
Yeovil Country
Park
Katy Menday, South Somerset District Council’s Countryside
Manager, reviews the awards, achievements and autumn activities
at the town’s special green spaces.
Progress in the
Park
If you visited Yeovil
Country Park through
the spring and
summer you will
have seen the progress
towards delivering
the all-ability
access trail around
the lake, and the fencing
to create a safe
wildlife haven. Work
has gone well and
hopefully the new
path will make a difference
to people
accessing the area.
A new education
pack and wildlife
boards will make an
appearance later in
the year. All the work
has been paid for by
the People’s Millions
Lottery grant, as
voted for by park
users, so thank you.
Autumn Ambles in
Yeovil Country Park
For a truly beautiful
display of colour this
autumn take a stroll
in the Victorian valley
gardens of
Ninesprings.
You will notice the
new chestnut fencing
funded by the
Breathing Places
grant fund. Keep an
eye out for water
voles in the streams,
one of the UK’s most
endangered
mammals, and
collect a range of the
incredible nuts and
seeds produced
each year by our
trees.
Heritage Fayre
and Celebrations at
Ham Hill
We are delighted to
be running again the
Ham Hill Heritage
Fayre on Saturday 6
September from
11am-5pm, with a
folklore spectacular
at 2pm in the stone
circle.
There are stalls,
exhibitors,
re-enactment groups
and countryside
favourites all at this
free event organised
by the Friends of
Ham Hill Country
Park and funded by
the Heritage Lottery
Fund. Also this
summer the Ham Hill
team were delighted
to receive an award
from Warburtons
bread for being the
best picnic spot in
the south west, as
voted for by you.
Thank you for all of
the support, and
hope you all enjoy
the new BBQ area
recently refurbished
by the team.
Great news, both
Country Parks have
again been
successful in
securing their Green
Flag Awards for
2008/9, recognising
the fact that they are
both high-quality
green spaces.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 37

Yeovil’s Sporting
Achievements
Nicola Morgan recently joined Yeovil College and
is aiming to compete at the 2012 Olympics.
38 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Yeovil stars are going for gold
by Sandy Francis
It is an exciting time for
sport enthusiasts in Yeovil
and the surrounding area.
From serious competitors
to those who simply
take part for fun, there are
plenty of reasons to
celebrate.
The anticipation of the
London Olympics in 2012
has created a surge of
Sarah Gearing, county champion pole-vaulter.
interest in sport on a
national level and sports
providers across the
region are not only
endeavouring to
accommodate everyone
who has a desire to be
involved, but new
initiatives are in place to
make sure any budding
future Olympian is spotted
and nurtured from the
start.

It was a typical summer
evening when I visited Yeovil
Olympiads Athletics Club
(YOAC). I was immediately
impressed.
The club includes Wells
City Harriers Track and Field
and holds year-round weekly
meets that become twice
weekly from Easter to
autumn with an extra summer
session on Monday evenings
for eight to 11-year-olds.
The training sessions are
held at Yeovil Athletics Arena
on Tuesday and Thursday
and are open to anyone with
an interest in track and field
events. The facilities,
although getting on in years,
remain attractive and well
maintained. The numbers of
volunteers who turn out to
coach and sort out the
administration is nothing
short of admirable.
I was lucky enough on
arrival to meet stalwart
enthusiast and president Bill
Whistlecroft MBE who
introduced me to committee
members, trainers and
competitors. Along with
chairman Bruce Pointer he
gave me a brief history of the
club that was founded in
1969 and has evolved to
include nine separate teams
from senior men to under-13
boys and girls. Each team is
assigned an experienced,
dedicated coach.
Stuart Richards, club
secretary and coach of the
senior men’s South West
League team who are
currently at the top of division
one has recently been
appointed part time athletics
coach jointly funded by South
Somerset District Council, UK
Athletics South West and
Somerset Activity and Sports
Partnership.
The focus on his work is to
increase participation and
improve junior performance,
spot talented young athletes
and help them reach their full
potential. I met him coaching
Yeovil’s Sporting
Achievements
Yeovil-born star Sam Weale is the first British male to compete in the Olympic
Modern Pentathlon since Atlanta 1996.
budding pole-vaulters,
including 17-year-old Sarah
Gearing who is currently
county champion and also
competes in triple jump, long
jump and high jump.
Stuart said he is delighted
to have the opportunity to
work more intensively with
local youngsters and for
athletics in the region to be
given a higher priority. His
participation in the running of
YOAC puts him in an
excellent position to develop
fledgling Olympiads and
make sure they receive the
correct level of training and
competition at the right time.
From April to the end of
September YOAC are
involved with competition
fixtures almost every
weekend at tracks throughout
the country. The various
teams compete on many
levels, including the Southern
Men’s League, the South
West League, the County
Schools Championships, the
National Schools Athletics
Association and the Young
Athlete’s League. When club
members achieve success at
a regional level they move on
to compete firstly for the
county and then the South
West Athletics Team.
For athletes in the Yeovil
area, achievement at this
level will bring access to
national competition and
entry to Bath University’s
high-performance centre,
where training is likely to
consist of a full-time
programme.
One Yeovil success story
happily ensconced in Bath’s
excellence programme is
Sam Weale, who took up
Modern Pentathlon eight
years ago. In 2006 he was
named the British Olympic
Committee One To Watch
and has made 2008 his best
year yet, becoming the first
British male to reach every
final of the World Cup
campaign in one season. His
efforts were rewarded in May
when he won a place on the
British team bound for
Beijing.
Continued on page 41
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 39

40 www.yeovilvision.co.uk

Continued from page 39
The key to achieving sporting
success at a high level is to
ensure young athletes are
noticed and guided from an
early age.
The sports development
teams are optimistic that
Stuart’s appointment will
make a significant difference.
The idea of employing a
specialised trainer has
already been tried and tested
in the Yeovil area and offers a
fantastic example of how one
person’s involvement can
produce dramatic results.
Alex Pinniger has been in
the post of full time swimming
coach since late 2006. Like
Stuart, he was initially taken
on for a three-year period, a
contract that is likely to be
extended considering the
remarkable improvement in
competitive swimming
standards since he came on
board.
When he took over, the
swimming club had no
national qualifiers. Today,
14-year-old Liam Kitto is
competing for the region in
the Freestyle event. In 2007
the club produced 11 regional
qualifiers and won 41 medals
at Somerset County‘s
Swimming Gala, a figure that
has risen this year to 15
regional qualifiers and 51
medals. One of the greatest
success stories belongs to
11-year-old Daniel Liu who
won ten gold medals and a
silver last year and was
awarded Junior Performer of
the Year at the Sports Awards
in South Somerset.
His age prevents him from
qualifying for the nationals,
but as he is the fastest
11-year-old in butterfly for the
entire country, we can expect
to hear more about him in the
very near future.
Apart from clubs, schools
and colleges in the area are
integral in building sporting
success. I spoke to FE sport
development co-ordinator
Katherine Purnell about the
provision for sports at Yeovil
College. It was good to hear
that the list of choices is both
long and varied and not
restricted to students.
The sports hall is available
to hire and is used by several
local groups for badminton,
volleyball, basketball and
various five-a-side football
teams. There is also a gym
on site that is open to the
public at evenings and
weekends. The college has
teams for rugby, football,
table tennis, hockey and
netball and runs five
academies in football, rugby,
netball, badminton and
athletics. Every member of
the academy receives
scheduled coaching hours
and support in nutrition and
lifestyle management.
The success of the
academies is evident. In
rugby, Lee Jennings has
become England Colleges’
most capped player,
Charlotte Male plays for
England U20’s, England
Colleges’ and South West
Colleges’ whilst athlete
Nicola Morgan won bronze
at this years British Colleges’
Championships and is
Yeovil’s Sporting
Achievements
Daniel Liu was awarded Junior Performer
of the Year at the Sports
Awards in south Somerset.
targeting the 2012/2016
Olympics.
The levels of dedication by
all those involved in this and
other projects is
heart-warming. From the
coaches at YOAC and other
clubs determined to help
athletes reach their goals to
the volunteers who work
tirelessly behind the scenes;
from conscientious staff
resolved to making a
difference, to forward thinking
development teams who are
determined to initiate positive
change.
Sport in Yeovil and the
surrounding area has never
been so well supported or
accessible and with many
innovative ideas in the
pipeline, things can only
continue to improve.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 41

Innovation Centre
Artist’s impression
Encouraging Yeovil’s future entrepreneurs
Gerard Tucker from South Somerset’s
Economic Developemnt Service describes
the new business centre and how it is
essential to encouraging the future
entrepreneurs of Yeovil.
By attracting and supporting
businesses in the high
technology sectors, including
engineering, IT, graphic
design, the Innovation Centre
will provide the stimulus to
develop local entrepreneurial
skills.
The centre, located near
the Yeovil Town Football Club
has arisen from the need to
provide support, networking
and suitable accommodation
for start up businesses.
The Yeovil Innovation
Centre will focus on skills and
knowledge, working with
individuals and companies of
an entrepreneurial nature
consolidating their ability to
compete successfully, and
assisting their growth and
onward development.
South Somerset District
Council and Somerset
County have been working in
42 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
partnership, with the South
West of England Regional
Development Agency, along
with University Centre Yeovil,
Yeovil College, Somerset
Business Link – Peninsula
Enterprise and South West
Inventors Club to develop the
project through to the point of
implementation. Indeed by
the autumn of 2008, the first
tenants should be located at
the centre.
Yeovil is recognised as a
key location for businesses,
particularly those involved in
the aerospace and advanced
engineering sectors. As a
location, entrepreneurial
people have for hundreds of
years developed businesses
in or near Yeovil, which has
had national, and
international influence. The
Yeovil Innovation Centre will
build on this trend and
continue to support fledgling
businesses.
Easy in, easy out rental
terms will enable start ups to
grow within the centre, which
comprises 34 small units
ranging from 200-600 square
feet and two larger units to
provide scope for growth.
The centre will offer on-site
business support, mentoring,
business education and
advice.
A key feature will be the
opportunity of networking
within a progressive business
community of like minded
entrepreneurs, individuals
and companies. It is
anticipated that
manufacturing and
engineering will be attracted
to the Yeovil Innovation
Centre.
The centre will be
managed by an independent
third-party organisation who
will be responsible for all
lettings, maintenance and
management.
If you would like further
information about the Yeovil
Innovation Centre, contact
Gerard Tucker on 01935
462527.

The Yeovil Innovation Centre will focus on skills and knowledge, working with individuals and companies of an
entrepreneurial nature consolidating their ability to compete successfully.
Scott Roy, managing
director of Aerosystems,
Yeovil is currently the
chairman of the Strategy
Board. Mr Roy said: “The
Yeovil Innovation Centre will
provide a chance to help
nurture and grow new
businesses in the sectors
that are being encouraged.
I am excited by this
development, Yeovil has a
Innovation Centre
history of developing
innovation and entrepreneurs.
This facility will ensure
that we continue with that
tradition.”
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 43

Golden Oldies
New to Yeovil
Golden Oldies session in Bath
Something special for the young at heart
There is a call for Rock n
Roller’s to encourage South
Somerset’s Golden Oldies, a
new charity that gets elderly
people rocking and rolling
who wants to hear from
musical people in the South
Somerset area.
Recently launched charity
Golden Oldies – which was
set up in January – runs free
weekly sing-a-long sessions
for elderly people across the
UK, with music from the 50s,
60s and 70s eras.
After a whirlwind of media
attention the Goldies are
planning to launch sessions
in Crewkerne, Yeovil and
Somerton, and having gained
support from South Somerset
District Council and South
44 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Somerset Homes. Inspiration
for the Golden Oldies
concept came from BBC
television’s The Zimmers.
Bath-based founder of the
charity and choir leader,
Grenville Jones, said:
“I realised how many lonely
and isolated people there
were in the country. Singing
makes you smile and is a
wonderful hobby.
“We are certainly not
looking for choir conductors.
“The session takers do not
have to play an instrument as
we always use backing
tracks.”
Pauline Burr, South
Somerset District Council’s
arts officer, said: “As soon as
we heard of the work that
Golden Oldies does to get
older people socialising, we
wanted to bring sessions to
South Somerset.
“Locations have already
been organised for local
sessions to take place from
September.
“This is a fantastic
opportunity for people to get
together and the aim of the
game is to put smiles on the
faces of our local elderly.”
For more information about
joining the sessions, or how
to become a session leader,
contact Pauline Burr, South
Somerset District Council arts
officer on 01935 462613 or
visit the Golden Oldies
charity website
www.golden-oldies.org.uk

Golden Oldies singing in Bath.
Locations for the South Somerset Golden Oldies
Pearson House Communal Lounge, Roping
Road, Yeovil BA21 4BP
Bowhayes Lodge Communal Lounge,
Grenville Jones, Bath-based founder of the Golden Oldies charity.
Crewkerne TA18 8EJ
Laburnum Drive Communal Lounge,
Somerton TA11 6LN
Golden Oldies
New to Yeovil
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 45

Town Centre
Management
Representative from South Somerset Disability Forum, Clive Davies receives a
cheque from members of Yeovil Vision and the Yeovil Town Partnership.
Working together for a better future in Yeovil
Town centre manager Ian Budd describes
the work of the Town Centre Partnership
and why working as a partnership is the
key to the success of improving Yeovil.
Town centre management is
based at 80 South Street and
the South Somerset District
Council supplies our offices
and administration services.
We operate an open door
policy and on some days can
have up to 20 people visiting
us throughout the day asking
for our help and advice, or
just popping in for a cup of
tea and a chat.
Yeovil Vision shares the
offices and this enables us to
regularly meet with Alan
Brown, the project director,
on both a formal and informal
basis to discuss ideas and
developments of the Vision.
The Town Centre
Partnership consists of
representatives of the public
and private sectors who
contribute financial support to
provide core funding for Town
Centre Management. There
are currently 23 members
with the major funding
partners being, South
Somerset District Council,
46 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Yeovil Town Council, The
Quedam Centre, Boots,
Marks & Spencer, the
Western Gazette, Laceys
Estate Agents and Yeovil
District Hospital.
We meet quarterly to
discuss the town’s business
and action plans, address
any problems and seek a
way forward. My workload
and priorities are very much
governed by the members.
Having a membership from
a wide range of businesses
means that I can gain advice
in all sorts of areas that affect
the town. I have worked for
South Somerset District for
many years as a
regeneration and economic
development officer, so I am
also able to advise members
on issues that arise with
various Council services and
introduce them to the
relevant officer.
We work closely with the
Yeovil police beat team on
community safety issues. The
beat team do a fantastic job
and they respond quickly to
incidents in the town. Crime
has been falling due to their
hard work. In comparison
with other similar sized towns
we have very low crime
figures but our biggest battle
is with peoples perception of
crime.
The Yeovil Business Crime
Reduction Team co-ordinator,
is based in our offices and
works with the team’s Board
of Management, including the
Town Centre Manager.
The Crime Reduction team
consists of 106 retailers and
businesses open during the
day and 52 Pubwatch
members who trade in the
night-time economy.
Monthly meetings are held
and attended by the police
who offer advice, report crime
trends and share intelligence.
Both schemes use the town
Radiolink system and are
able to have direct contact
with the CCTV control room
and the police station. The
crime reduction team have
recently been awarded the
Action Against Business
Crime Safer Business Award,
a Government Home Office
initiative.

Town Centre
Management
Yeovil Town Centre manager Ian Budd and Quedam Centre manager David Mills sign a partnership agreement between the
Town Centre Partnership and the Quedam Centre.
The Town Centre Partnership
supports Yeovil Shopmobility
by providing administration,
advice and actively fund raise
on their behalf.
The Shopmobility project,
located in the Lift Lobby on
the Lower Ground Floor of
the Quedam Centre car park,
has been a great asset to the
town and the average spend
of each user is estimated at
£100.
The Town Centre
Partnership and Yeovil Vision
have recently sponsored the
South Somerset Disability
forum to undertake 20 access
audits on business premises
in Yeovil town centre in order
to give advice and guidance
to on how to improve their
services. It is important to
make the town centre
accessible for everyone and I
am delighted that the Yeovil
Vision has supported this
new access for all scheme.
We work very closely with the
South Somerset Disability
Forum and often ask for
advice and guidance on
disability issues within the
town.
As a member of The
Association Of Town Centre
Managers I am in regular
contact with my
contemporaries from other
towns and cities and I must
admit that is where I get
some of my best ideas,
taking best practice from
them and learning by their
experiences. I visit other
towns and I genuinely believe
that Yeovil is getting it right in
comparison, but we won’t get
complacent and we will work
hard to improve Yeovil further
still. We have formed many
working partnerships and
could not be as effective as
we are without them. I am
always impressed with their
support, hard work and
enthusiasm for Yeovil.
If you are interested in
joining the partnership or
would like further information,
contact the town centre
offices on 01935 462422 or
send an email to
ian.budd@southsomerset.gov
.uk or call into the office
located at 80 South Street.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 47

A truly exceptional spa treatment room,
boasting a stunning range of pampering treatments
• Facials and skin care
• Spa manicures and pedicures by
• Body Treatments
• Make-up treatments, advice and
techniques using the finest mac make-up
• St Tropez tanning
• Essential Treatments - hair removal, eyebrow
shaping and eyelash tint
• Tailor made packages
• Hot Stone Therapy and body massage
• Day Spa facilities available
Paula Casserley IIHHT, IHBC
Fully BABTAC insured
Spa Therapy @ Lanes,
West Coker, nr Yeovil
Tel: 01935 862555
Mobile 07765 393774
DAVID
PARKIN
Chartered
surveyor
and
architectural
services
4, Wilton Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 5XP
Tel: 01935 473777 Mobile: 07778 640526
Surveys, Planning and Building regulation
drawings for new dwellings, loft conversions,
extensions, garages, conservatories etc
Initial advice and first site visit free
48 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
OUT OCTOBER 2008
Picture postcards from
Somerset and Dorset and
mouthwatering recipes from
local businesses.
From just £2
plus a token
Pick up an
October’s
issue of the
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Tel: 01935 422279 Email info@mortgagemattersyeovil.co.uk
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Yeovil Town Band
Yeovil hosts county’s only award-winning town band
by Naomi Cudmore
Somerset’s only championship
band, seasoned
main-stage performers at
Glastonbury and a popular
booking for celebratory and
ceremonial events of all
shapes and sizes, Yeovil
Town Band is anything but
brassed off.
It began life as a drum and
fife band attached from the
outset to the Yeovil Rifle
Corps, which had formed in
April 1860, and its first
recorded public performance
followed within a decade – in
September 1870 – when the
musicians trumpeted their
skills at a concert at
Montacute House.
Evolving under various
guises, including the Petters
Works Military Band and then
the Yeovil Corporation Band,
the ranks were finally split in
1949 when Yeovil became a
two band town, with some
members leaving their
counterparts to form the
Yeovil Working Men’s Band.
The current band was formed
in 1967 and within a few
years had made it to the
National Brass Band
Championships, where it
performed again in the 1980s
and then for five consecutive
years from 1994.
Band stalwart Chris
Buckland is secretary of 17
years standing, partnered by
husband Andrew, who serves
as treasurer.
Chris said: “For most of our
history Yeovil has languished
in the lower sections, so our
belated success in the
contest arena has been
something of a shock.
This is largely due to Ray
Hunt, who signed as
managing director in 1994,
since when we have never
looked back.
“It is something of a
testament to Ray that in 1996
he realised he had taken the
band as far as he could and
encouraged us to sign the
talented Steve Sykes as our
new professional.”
Under Steve, the band
promptly won the second
Section Finals title and the
West of England Regional
Yeovil
Brass Band
Championships in 1997.
Then, under Philip Bailey,
Young Conductor of the Year,
it moved into the Championship
Section for the first time.
Today, the band maintains
its status of being the only
Championship band in the
county.
Chris said: “We are very
much a fun band and have a
good social side, but there is
no doubt that we are deadly
serious when we are
competing.”
With 25 brass players and
three percussionists, the
band comprises cornets,
flugal, horns, baritones,
euphoniums, trombones,
tubas, and various items of
percussion, ranging from the
drums to tubular bells and a
big gong. Wednesday and
Sunday rehearsals take place
at the Yeovil Small Business
Centre on Houndstone
industrial Estate in Yeovil and
the band would love to hear
from new members.
Contact Chris Buckland on
01935 474275 to find out
more.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 49

Restaurant & Take Away
Fine Indian & Bangladeshi Cuisine
served at this fully licensed restaurant
Banquet Night - anything from the
menu all day Sunday & Monday £10.95
Open every day
101 Middle Street, Yeovil
01935 472352
LINGERIE TOYS DVDS
OUTFITS NOVELTIES
MAGAZINES BOOKS
Over 18s only
MISSMAYS.COM
01935 428 111
mail@missmays.com
1 Sherborne Road Yeovil Somerset BA21 4HD
50 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Likely Lads
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• House
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CHEAP, CHEERFUL AND RELIABLE
FREE NO OBLIGATION VALUATION
01935 426534 or 07989 683944
(24 hour answerphone)
Relax in our cafe and enjoy
Traditional Cornish Pasties
Sandwiches • Baguettes
• Toasties & melts • Salads
• Jacket potatoes • Cakes
• Hot & cold drinks
or from ‘A Bit on the Side’,
our street-side servery
On the corner of Westminster Street
(near Tesco Extra)
01935 413855

The Yeovil space suit
An unusual 1950s space suit, made in
Yeovil, is now on display at the Museum of
South Somerset as part of an exhibition
that celebrates past and present local
innovators.
Known as the Tin Man, the suit was
made to be in a seated position – which is
just as well, because the helmet is so
heavy that anyone wearing the suit would
not have been able to stand upright when
wearing the suit. Visit the Tin Man and
other local innovations in The Generator
exhibition, which has been organised by
South Somerset District Council's Heritage
Team. The Museum of South Somerset is
owned by South Somerset District Council
and is open from Monday to Saturday,
9am-5pm and closed on Saturday for lunch
between 1pm-2pm.
Call 01935 462855 for more details.
Yeovil’s Space Suit
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 51

Somerset Primary
Care Trust
This autumn, Somerset’s
GPs will again be advising
the county’s senior citizens
and people with long-term
health conditions, like
asthma, diabetes and
emphysema, to protect
themselves against flu this
winter by having a free flu
jab.
Despite mild winters and
low levels of influenza in
recent years, experts from
the World Health
Organisation warn it’s only a
matter of time before we
could see a worldwide
outbreak of the virus.
Last winter almost 75 per
cent of Somerset’s over 65
year olds came forward for
their flu vaccination, and
many younger people with
long-term ill health took up
the opportunity to attend one
of the many flu clinics held at
GP surgeries across the
county.
It is estimated that at least
3,000-4,000 deaths occur
each year in England as a
result of complications
caused by flu and around ten
to 15 per cent of the
population develop the
disease each year. NHS
hospitals, YDH, will often be
the first to see a sudden rise
in the number of emergency
admissions as elderly people
succumb to the complications
of the illness.
Dr Caroline Gamlin, Joint
Director of Public Health with
Somerset Primary Care
Trust, said: “Although the
symptoms of the flu are
unpleasant, they do not
normally present a serious
risk to younger, healthy
people.
However, flu can be a
serious illness for people
over 65 years old or those
with chronic health problems.
“If you suffer from a chronic
illness like asthma or
52 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Flu jab helps keep elderly out of hospital
diabetes, or you are 65 years
or older, you are particularly
at risk from flu.
This means that if you do
catch flu, it is more likely to
lead on to a more serious
illness.
“The flu jab continues to be
the most effective protection
from the flu. That’s why we
advise everyone in the
vulnerable groups to get a flu
jab when there are notified by
their family doctor.”
To find out more about the
flu vaccination talk to your
GP or pharmacist or call NHS
Direct on 0845 46 47, or visit
www.immunisation.nhs.uk or
go to NHS Direct Interactive
on Sky Digital TV, or
Freeview.

You local pharmacist could have the answer
When it comes to treatment
for common ailments, it is
easy to forget that your
pharmacist should often be
the first port of call.
All too often it is men who
don’t realise their local
pharmacist has advice and
information on preventing the
country’s two most serious
killers – heart disease and
cancer.
Whether it’s offering some
advice about stopping
smoking or information about
exercise and diet, your
pharmacist can help.
Pharmacists are highly
trained in medicines and how
they work. They are
experienced in providing
expert advice and will treat
anything you tell them in
confidence.
Doctors expect to see a
seasonal increase in ill health
in winter, but many people
still turn to their GP for the
treatment of very minor
illnesses like the common
cold, without even thinking of
seeing a pharmacist first.
And don’t forget that you
can also help yourself and
your family doctor by keeping
just a few over-the-counter
What medicines might you
need at home?
Minor illnesses or
accidents can happen at
any time so it is worth
being prepared. It makes
sense to keep some first
aid and simple remedies
to treat minor complaints
and accidents.
Paracetamol and aspirin
(children under 16 and
people with asthma should
not take aspirin)
There are Ibuprofen syr-
medicines at home for many
common illnesses and minor
ailments.
Somerset GP Dr Harry
Yoxall said: “Family doctors
often see relatively healthy
patients affected by only
minor ailments.
“These conditions will
frequently improve without
treatment or can be helped if
the patient seeks advice from
a pharmacist.
“Ensuring you have a few
over the counter medicines in
Somerset Primary
Care Trust
ups for children
Mild laxatives
Anti-diarrhoeal
medicines
Rehydration mixture
Indigestion remedy
Tweezers
Sharp scissors
Thermometer
A selection of plasters
Non-absorbent cotton wool
Elastic bandages and
dressings
your home, to relieve the
symptoms of colds, flu or
stomach upset, will help you
and ensure your GP is free to
direct their efforts to treating
the most seriously ill
patients.”
If you want to know where
your nearest pharmacy is
open over Christmas, New
Year and Bank Holiday times,
just check your weekly
newspaper or call the 24 hour
health helpline, NHS Direct
on 0845 46 47.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 53

Tourist Information
Centre
Silver award for Yeovil Tourist Information Centre
The Tourist Information
centres at Yeovil and
Cartgate have just won a
Silver award each from South
West Tourism's Excellence
Awards.
The tourist information
centres are not just for
people visiting the area. They
can provide you with almost
limitless information that can
be extremely valuable.
The centre at Yeovil,
located within the museum of
South Somerset building,
opposite the Octagon
Theatre, offers a
one-stop-shop for making
accommodation bookings via
the national TIC network.
The centre is able to take
bookings for a range of
holiday properties including
self-catering, and can provide
54 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
the information brochures on
all UK holiday destinations,
from John O'Groats to
Blackpool to the Isle of Scilly,
plus contact details for TICs
anywhere in the country.
If you need to make a
booking for Berry's Coaches,
you can do so through the
TIC.
You can purchase tickets
for major local events such
as Yeovilton Airday and the
Royal Bath and West Show,
plus find out information
about events all over the
country.
Details of all London
theatre listings are updated
every two weeks and you
may also find cheap
admissions to local
attractions and information
about seasonal events such
as late night shopping, santa
specials and other Christmas
events, plus details about
fireworks and carnivals in the
autumn.
There is a large collection
of maps, books, cards,
walking guides and quality
souvenirs that you can
purchase. The TIC also
provides information on a
whole host of different
interests, from antiques to
riding stables.
To find out more about
travel to the area, places to
stay and eat, events and
attractions, public transport
and local souvenirs and
much more, contact one of
the tourist information centres
on 01935 845946, or call into
the Yeovil Heritage and
Visitor Information Centre.

Toby Stok outreach officer inspecting a thatching comb.
The award-winning Museum Of South Somerset
Opposite the Octagon Theatre is one of
Yeovil’s treasures – the award-winning
Museum Of South Somerset.
The museum was awarded a full
accreditation in May this year, from the
Museum, Libraries and Archives Council –
placing it amongst the top museums in the
country for its good practice in looking after
artefacts and providing excellent visitor
facilities.
David Hill, visitor services manager at
South Somerset District Council, said:
“What people may not know about the
museum is that we have a secondary
museum facility that is, in fact, a storage
area for all the 20,000 artefacts that are
not currently on display – at the
Community Heritage Access Centre at the
council’s Lufton depot in Yeovil. Groups
can book guided tours or make use of our
archiving and research facilities.”
To get the accreditation, museums have
to meet a set of standards in caring for and
documenting their collections, governing
and managing them, and in the level of
information and services they offer to their
users.
To find out more about the Museum Of
South Somerset, Community Heritage
Access Centre and other heritage facilities
in South Somerset, contact Clare
Robinson on 01935 462855.
Museum Of South
Somerset
Bronze-age shield installed at the Museum Of South Somerset.
Visit the museum website pages by logging on to
www.southsomerset.gov.uk.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 55

Green Tips For
Christmas
Have a green and guilt-free Christmas
How can you strike a balance
between caring for the
environment and enjoying
your family’s Christmas
traditions? Here are 12 tips,
one for each of the days of
Christmas, to encourage
values of sustainability in
your family and maybe create
a few new traditions along
the way.
1. Buy local vegetables
and traditional breeds of
meat produced ethically.
South Somerset hosts
regular farmers markets, visit
www.visitsomerset.co.uk for
information.
2. Don’t waste food or
money. Buy only what you
need. Ordering non-perishable
food early online can
help you avoid in-store
temptations.
3. Buy wine with real cork.
Real cork is harvested from
the bark of trees, it’s
sustainable and can help to
maintain wildlife habitats.
4. South Somerset’s
Christmas tree recycling
scheme is running again this
year; use the mulch to reduce
spring garden weeds, or buy
sustainable potted trees.
5. Never burn tree
branches in the fireplace; it
creates a build up of
highly-flammable creosote.
6. Save paper and fuel by
56 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
sending Ecards. Consider
charity cards, recycled paper
cards, or create your own.
7. Choose gifts wisely from
fair trade sources, ones that
are ethically produced, or
ones from local craft and food
markets. Brush up craft and
cooking skills for homemade
gifts, or grow plants for
presents. A unique and
personal gift will be much
valued.
8. Use alternative wrapping
such as cloth and tissue
paper, or buy recycled. It’s
estimated an area the size of
Guernsey could be covered
each year with discarded
wrappings. Use ribbons
instead of tape. Create your
own gift labels on the PC –
or get the kids busy with
stencils.
9. Look for naturally
powered gadgets such as
wind-up radios, clocks and
torches and avoid environmentally
harmful batteries.
Electronics with a standby
buttons consume energy by
stealth.
10. Decorate a tree or bush
in your garden with pine
cones, suet, berries, and
seasonally shaped fat balls.
The birds will welcome the
treat.
11. Reduce the use of
outdoor lights. LED tree lights
Have a great Christmas, but remember
to do your bit to help keep these guys
safe.
use approximately 95 per
cent less energy than
traditional lights. Change
household lights to
energy-efficient bulbs.
12. Enjoy time outdoors.
We are fortunate to be
surrounded by beautiful
countryside and wildlife; the
small changes we make will
help to protect it.

Touching the lives of so many people
St Margaret's Somerset
Hospice is a local charity
committed to providing
specialist palliative care,
advice, support and respite to
patients and their families
living in Somerset and parts
of neighbouring counties.
Care is available for those
who have a terminal or
life-limiting illness, for
example cancer, motor
neurone disease and chronic
lung disease.
Through medical expertise,
nursing skills and specialist
support services, the staff
offer physical, emotional,
social and spiritual care to all
patients and their families.
Bereavement support is also
available.
The services are also
available to patients where
specialist knowledge, skills
and expertise will provide
relief for patient’s specific
Light up a life this Christmas
With the support of local
parishes across Somerset, St
Margaret’s Light Up A Life
Christmas appeal is an
opportunity to remember and
celebrate special individuals
whom will be absent from
your celebrations this
Christmas time.
Light Up A Life offers
families personal time and the
chance to share the moment
with other like-minded
individuals who are also
missing someone that cannot
be with them, whatever the
reason.
Whether it is a young
person away from home,
family serving overseas,
family or friends who have
emigrated or people that are
no longer with us – they all
can be remembered.
Dedicating a light also has
a very practical outcome, as
all contributions to the Light
illness, such as symptom
control, breathlessness
management, lymphoedema
treatment, physiotherapy and
complementary therapies.
St Margaret's Somerset
Hospice is fully registered
under the Healthcare
Commission. All patient and
family care services are
provided free of charge to
anyone with a palliative care
need.
There are two inpatient
units, one in Taunton and one
in Yeovil, and St Margaret’s
also provides a range of
services in patients’ homes.
At the beginning of
February this year, the
Western Gazette launched a
campaign to enhance the
gardens at St Margaret’s
Hospice in Yeovil. When the
hospice opened in 2003,
there wasn’t enough money
to create the garden which
Up A Life 2008 Christmas
appeal will help to continue
the special care that the
nurses, doctors and other
professionals at St Margaret’s
Hospice provide on a daily
basis that brings light and
hope to so many families who
are living with a life-limiting
illness.
Light Up A Life and
candlemas services will be
held across the region later
this year. These services are
essentially simple and
reflective, and a lovely way to
remember those not with us.
This year, St John's church,
Yeovil will have a Light Up A
Life service at 6.30pm on
Sunday 30 November.
To dedicate a light, pick up
a leaflet at your local Hospice
shop or ring 0845 3459671, or
you can download one from
St. Margaret’s website at
www.somerset-hospice.org.uk
St Margaret’s
Hospice
the staff envisioned. In three
months, the people of Yeovil
and surrounding areas raised
a whopping £20,000.
Sue Medlicott, hospice
communications co-ordinator
who played a leading role in
the campaign, said: “It’s
fantastic that we have
achieved this in such a short
time. It just shows the
tremendous generosity of
local people and the high
regard they hold the hospice.
The hospice touches so
many people’s lives and it’s
just wonderful when they
respond in this way.”
For more information about
St Margaret’s Hospice and all
of the services that the
charity provides, visit the
website www.somersethospice.org.uk
where you will
also find great fundraising
ideas and information about
volunteering.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 57

At the heart of all things local
SO MUCH
FOR SO MANY
EVERY WEEK IN
YOUR LOCAL
www.westerngazette.co.uk
YeovilTimes 25p
Wednesday 30 July 2008
58 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
V F D
VERIFIED FREE DISTRIBUTION
44,210
Yeovil Times series
July-Dec 2007
WHERE SOLD
Your leading free newspaper for Yeovil & South Somerset
Picture byJennie Banks
Brothers Jullian, aged seven, and Daniel Newton, ten, of Yeovil
admire the Global Youth Action tree atthe international festival of
culture atYeovil Town Football Club’s Huish Park stadium. For the
full story and more pictures see tomorrow’s Western Gazette.
DON’T MISS
in tomorrow’s
FREE
Children’s book
for every reader
FREE
Yeovil District
Hospital
8-page special
At the heart ofallthings local
Your Western Gazette online
www.westerngazette.co.uk
*
*plus post &packing
50 Thursday 31 July 2008
For hundreds of local jobs visit our recruitment website – www.jobsite.co.uk/westerngazette
E01 YWG www.w
It is so easy to place
your advertisement .
Online Fill in your details online at
www.westerngazette.co.uk
Phone Prepayment is required, please
Fax Send instructions and p
have your credit card ready when you call
01935 411600 or 411700 –Mon
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Office Visit our offices in S
E-mail Send instructions and payment
details to ads@westgaz.co.uk
Post Complete the coupon a
with remittance, to Western
Sherborne Road, Yeovil, BA2
details to 01935 432266
Road, Yeovil, Monday-Frida
8.30am-5pm
Adsfinder – Buying & selling: page 56 – Dogs, cats &pets: page 59 – Gardening: page 59 – Recruitment: page 50 –
Hotjobs
■ Part Time RGN
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Westland Transmissions
For full details see Page52

Books for everyone and much, much more
Yeovil Library is a fantastic
resource, right on your
doorstep.
Do you want to book a
holiday, or renew your TV
licence? Use a PC in the
library.
Do you fancy a night in
with a good film? Browse
through the wide selection
of modern films and world
cinema titles.
Do the children want
information for their
homework, or just
something to do? There
are books, CDs and DVDs
for all ages.
Do you find ordinary print
difficult to read? Find your
favourite authors in Large
Print format or listen to
them on a Talking Book
(CD or cassette).
And you can get your
Richard and Judy here too!
Beat the end-of-summer
blues with these
recommendations from the
staff at Yeovil Library.
Yeovil Library
Books
Lisa See: Snow Flower and The Secret Fan
- “It takes you to another place, through another life.”
Geraldine Brooks: March
- “A classic in the making. Dr Zhivago, set in the American
Civil War.”
Barbara Kingsolver: Poisonwood Bible
- “Great story, and I learned a lot too.”
Ken Follett: Pillars Of The Earth and the sequel World
Without End
- “A fascinating read. A 12th Century cathedral and the lives
involved with it.”
DVDs and CDs
The assassination Of Jesse James - “Superb acting,
cinematography and script.”
I Am Legend - “Impressive and exciting sci-fi thriller.”
Black Book - “A thought-provoking war drama in Dutch with
subtitles.”
Bleak House - “The best costume drama I can ever
remember seeing.”
Ludovico Einaudi – Una Mattina - “Beautiful classical piano.”
Duffy – Rockferry - “Excellent rock, soul and blues album.”
Seth Lakeman – Kitty Jay - “Folksongs inspired by Dartmoor.”
Steve Knightley – Cruel River - “Haunting acoustic roots.”
Yeovil Library
King George Street
Yeovil, BA20 1PY
Tel: 0845 345 9177
(Libraries Direct)
Website: http://
www.somerset.
gov.uk/somerset/
culturecommunity/
culturalservice/libraries/
Opening hours:
Mon: 9.30am-5.30pm
Tues: 9.30am-6pm
Wed: 9.30am-5.30pm
Thurs: 9.30-6pm
Fri: 9.30am-5.30pm
Sat: 9.30am-4pm
Sun: Closed
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 59

A Day In The Life
Of A Beat Officer
Amanda Mehrlich
talks about her job
and experiences as
a Beat Officer
working within the
Yeovil community.
I was born in Taunton in 1973
and attended school there.
Upon leaving school in 1989 I
attended college studying
Travel, Tourism and business
studies. I then worked for a
local coach company as a
hostess which took me to
London five times a week.
This gave me a great deal
of practical experience
dealing with members of the
public. After eight years of
that, I decided that I wanted
to find a career which would
use all of my skills and offer
me a challenge. At that time
the police were advertising
for new officers via television
adverts. I applied, and within
six months I was accepted
and began training. I have
been a police officer for the
past six years and I
thoroughly enjoy all that my
job offers. I have spent all six
years of my service based in
the Yeovil area.
A typical day for me will
start at the police station,
when I spend time to action
and prioritise all the
information that has been
received whilst I have been
off duty. This can involve
returning telephone calls and
researching recent incidents.
This allows me to visit any
victims or informants whilst
out in the community. I also
take time to liaise with my
team of three Police
Community Support Officers
that work on the beat with
me. I will issue them with a
list of tasks that need to be
carried out during their shift;
60 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
Beat Officer, Amanda Mehrlich
this could include visiting
local businesses, residents,
members of the council as
well as conducting their
routine foot patrol.
I then head out onto my
beat on foot patrol. Taking
time to chat to members of
the public is an important part
of the job which allows me to
give reassurance to the
community and gain
intelligence at the same time.
On an average day I could
spend up to six or seven
hours patrolling the town
centre.
I often attend local
business partnership
meetings and visit their
offices informally and feed
information back to my senior
management team in order
for action plans to be put in
place.
I work closely with the
Yeovil Town Centre
Partnership and carry a town
link radio whilst on patrol.
This allows me to
communicate with more than
100 premises in and around
the town centre area.
On this day, the police had
information of an elderly
person who had gone
missing from hospital. The
radios meant that many
groups could keep a look out.
I was able to pass the
description of this person via
the town link radio, which
resulted in the person being
located very shortly
afterwards.
I think the people in Yeovil
are fortunate in that they
have a dedicated
Neighbourhood team which
covers the whole of Yeovil.
Each area has a dedicated
Police Beat Manager and a
team of Police Community
Support Officers all working
to give their community a
better quality of life. I feel that
perception of crime amongst
the public is actually a lot
higher than the actual level of
reported crime and that
people should feel safe in the
knowledge that the police are
striving to continue to make
Yeovil a safe place to both
live and work.
At the end of a typical shift
I head home to my partner,
who is also a serving police
officer, and take my
four-year-old Dalmatian for a
long walk in the countryside.
To find out how the Police
Safer Stronger
Neighbourhood team are
making a difference in your
area, visit the website
www.avonandsomerset.
police.uk

Is everything about to change at Yeovil Bus Station?
Alan Brown, Yeovil Vision
projects director writes:
In my opinion Yeovil Bus Station
and adjacent Glovers
Walk shopping centre is perhaps
one of the most unattractive
areas of the town
centre.
So I am delighted that
Yeovil Vision has appointed
Roger Evans and Associates
working in conjunction with
Colin Buchanan Transportation
Consultancy to carry out
an evaluation of future
options for this important
town centre facility.
Work got underway in June
to gain a thorough understanding
how the current bus
station works and how bus
service provision may change
in future years.
Proposed developments,
such as the extension of the
Quedam Shopping Centre
and regeneration of the
Cattle Market, will transform
areas that are current “backwaters”
into new focal points
of retail and mixed-use activity.
These developments
demonstrate how the future
dynamics of the town centre
are changing and why it
might be timely to remodel or
relocate the Bus Station.
In other towns the re-development
of a centrally located
Bus Station has acted as a
stimulus for wider urban
regeneration. So potentially,
as part of the scheme, a
wider regeneration of the
Glovers Walk Shopping
Centre and Lower Middle
Street could help to revitalise
this currently failing part of
the town.
The success of town
centres is becoming increasingly
dependent on their
accessibility so undoubtedly
public transport will have an
increasingly important role to
play in Yeovil’s future development.
In some circumstances, the
dispersal of bus operations,
Bus Station
rather than concentration at a
single location, has resulted
in a better interchange with
services and facilities. Sometimes
a bus street as
opposed to a bus station can
offer better access to services
by dropping passengers
nearer to where they
want to be, as well as
increasing flexibility for operators.
The study is due to be
completed in October 2008
and as it progresses will
include consultation with relevant
stakeholders.
I am looking forward to its
conclusions as a first step in
working towards creating an
improved town centre facility
and a much better impression
for both residents and visitors
using public transport.
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 61

Useful
Numbers
Ambulance Services
Patient Transport Services Non-Emergency
0845 6027311 Emergency 999
Chemists
Abbey Pharmacy, The Forum, Abbey Manor
Park 01935 478243
Boots the Chemist, 37 Middle Street 01935
426673 Ext 3
Boots the Chemist, Babylon Hill 01935
426673
John Preddy Co Ltd, Preston Grove 01935
433971
Lloyds Pharmacy, 72 Hendford 01935 423393
Penn Hill Pharmacy, 9 South Street 01935
706604
Cooperative Pharmacy, 63 St John’s Road
01935 421768
Superdrug Stores plc, 15 High Street 01935
423181/422829 (store)
Churches
Baptist: Yeovil Baptist Church, South Street
01935 479888
Church of England:
St John’s Church, Town Centre 01935 427745
St Andrew’s, Preston Grove 01935 427745
St James’, Preston Road 01935 414097
St Peter’s, Coronation Avenue 01935 429398
St Michael and All Angels, St Michael’s
Avenue 01935 475752
The Gateway, Yeovil Community Church,
Addlewell Lane 01935 433146
Holy Trinity Church, Lysander Road 01935
415266
Yeovil Baptist Church, South Street 01935
434404
Roman Catholic: Church of the Holy Ghost,
Higher Kingston 01935 423549
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
Forest Hill 01935 426817
Elim Pentecostal Church, Southville 01935
429214
Jehovah’s Witness, Kingdom Hall, Eastland
Road 01278 652847
Methodist, Vicarage Street 01935 432173
Salvation Army, Southville 01935 474637
62 www.yeovilvision.co.uk
All information in this guide is believed to be correct at time of
going to press. However, the publishers accept no responsibility
for errors or omissions.
Cinema
Cineworld Advance Booking 0871 200 2000
Clubs & Societies
Yeovil has a wealth of clubs, societies,
organisations, society and community
associations and support groups and much
has been omitted from this guide due to lack
of space. Full details can be obtained from the
Yeovil and District Council for Voluntary
Service 01935 475914 and Yeovil Library
01935 423144.
Education
Learning & Skills Council 0870 9006800
Yeovil College 01935 423921
Employment
Job Centre 01935 646000
Fire Service
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
01935 474646
Government Departments
Local Offices
DEFRA 01823 337922
Department of Social Services 0845 3459122/
01458 253241 (Emergency - out of hours)
Department of Work and Pensions, Federated
House, Hendford 01935 463100
Highways Agency 0845 3459155
Inspector of Taxes, Collector of Taxes,
Maltravers House, Petters Way 0845
3021483
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages,
Maltravers House, Petters Way 01935 411230
Valuation Office Agency, Quantock House,
Paul Street, Taunton 01823 308200
(switchboard)
VAT Enquiries, Customs and Excise 0845
0109000
Guest Houses
Details are available from the Tourist
Information Centre, Hendford 01935 845946

Health Centres, Hospitals and Clinics
Hendford Lodge Medical Centre 01935
470200
Penn Hill Surgery, St Nicholas Close 01935
470800
Preston Grove Medical Centre 01935 474353
Yeovil District Hospital, Higher Kingston
01935 475122
NHS Direct 0845 4647
Law Courts
County Court, Hendford 01935 382150
Magistrates Court 01935 426281 (South
Somerset and Mendip)
Members Of Parliament
David Laws MP, Liberal Democrat Office, 5
Church Street 01935 425025
Museum Of South Somerset
Community Heritage Access Centre, Lufton
01935 462855
Police
Avon & Somerset Constabulary 0845
4567000 Emergency 999
Post Office
Delivery Office, 103 Huish 01935 476186
Enquiries 0845 722 3344
Shopmobility
The Basement Carpark, The Quedam 01935
420889
South Somerset District Council
Council Offices, Brympton Way 01935
462462
Swimming Pool
Goldenstones Pools and Leisure Centre,
Brunswick Street 01935 845888
Theatres
Octagon Theatre Box Office 01935 422884
Swan Theatre, Park Street 01935 428646
Travel
Bournemouth International Airport 01202
364000
Bristol Airport 0870 1212747
Exeter Airport 01392 367433
Nippy Bus 01935 823888
Rail Travel Information 0845 7484950
Yeovil Bus Station 01935 476233 – no
incoming calls
Tourist Information Centre
Yeovil Heritage & Visitor Information Centre,
Hendford 01935 845946
Town Centre Manager
01935 462980
Useful
Numbers
Utilities
British Gas, all gas emergencies 0800 111999
Scottish & Southern Energy Group plc
Emergency 0845 7708090
SWEB emergencies only 0800 365 900
Wessex Water General Enquiries 0845
6004600
Wessex Water all water emergencies 0845
6004600
Welfare
Age Concern 01823 423497
Business Link 01823 287600
Citizens’ Advice Bureau 01935 421667
Consumer Direct South West 08454 040506
Environment Agency 08708 506506
Floodline 0845 9881188
Samaritans 24 Hour Service 0845 790 9090
South Somerset Disability Forum 01935
706766
Winter Warmth Advice Line 0800 085 7000
Yeovil Town Council
Town House, 19 Union Street BA20 1PQ
01935 382424
www.yeovilvision.co.uk 63