Good morning, Mendips! Acker Bilk, the Pensford lad who topped the American charts, opens this edition, and then we look ahead to a week that is wall-to-wall with Festival of Literature talks, a funk-jazz night in Chew Magna, a globe-trotting photographer in Upton Noble and the first spooks of half-term in Street. Plus: Wells has unveiled its Christmas plans, and Clarks Village is getting a bigger M&S.
🗓️ What Shall We Do This Week? — our look ahead, Monday to the weekend
📰 Hot News - Mendips Style — Christmas at Wells · Clarks Village revamp · Palace illuminations · Shepton boxing club · SEND places
🔤 Uxbridge English Dictionary — today's entry
🎙️ Feature — The Pensford Lad Who Topped the American Charts
📅 What's On This Week — across the Mendips, day by day
🌡️ Weather — Wells BA5 forecast
What Shall We Do This Week?
It's the last full week before half-term, and Mendip has decided to go out with a flourish. The Wells Festival of Literature is in full swing with talks every day through to Saturday, the Chew Valley has a poet one night and a band the next, and by Friday the Halloween decorations are going up in Street. Bookworms, gardeners, music lovers and anyone with small people to entertain: read on.
Monday belongs to the literature festival at Cedars Hall. Military historian Damien Lewis tells the story of the Special Forces raiders who changed the course of the Second World War; if you grew up on Commando comics, this is your evening. Later, Peter Ormerod goes looking for the spiritual side of David Bowie, one for anyone who still has the vinyl.
On Tuesday the week heads for the hills. Millena & the Misfits bring a bright mix of folk, pop, funk and what they describe as a touch of sparkle to the Waldegrave Arms in East Harptree. Free entry with a donation bucket makes it an easy midweek night out for anyone who likes their music with a pint and a proper pub around it.
Millena & the Misfits - Waldegrave Arms
Daytime readers might prefer the Arts Society Mid Somerset lecture at Caryford Hall, where advertising veteran Tony Rawlins explains how the ad industry borrowed Leonardo and Michelangelo to sell us things. Visitors are welcome.
Wednesday is the day for anyone who loves the Mendips themselves. Les Davies MBE, the former Mendip Hills AONB manager and Mendip Times columnist, talks about growing up on these hills at Cross Memorial Hall, a gentle afternoon for walkers, farmers and anyone curious about the hills before the car parks arrived.
In the evening, Henton Garden Club hosts garden designer Neil Ross, who trained at Sissinghurst and Great Dixter and promises ten tips to turn an average garden into a memorable one. Back at Cedars Hall, Oz Clarke talks grapes, growers and gloriously good bottles, followed by poet Henry Normal, co-writer of The Royle Family, with his fourth collected poems.
Thursday is quieter and lovelier. Chew Valley-raised poet Beth Calverley, founder of The Poetry Machine and poet in residence at Bristol's hospitals, gives a free evening of nature and poetry at Chew Valley Library. It needs booking, and it is the kind of thing you leave feeling calmer than you arrived.
Friday gives you a real choice. Moscow Drug Club land in Chew Magna with their heady cocktail of jazz, French musette, Latin grooves and New Orleans swing, plus songs by Jacques Brel, Tom Waits and Eartha Kitt. They have been selling out small halls for over a decade, so book.
Over in Upton Noble, photographer Max Milligan takes you around the world in 40 years, from the Amazon to Icelandic volcanoes via a Bridget Jones film set, with a drink included and the proceeds going to the village church. And for families, Spooktacular Halloween opens at the Shoemakers Museum on Friday and runs right through half-term, starting with a Museum of Lost Shoes trail for small detectives.
If you'd rather sing, Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years at Strode Theatre has all the harmonies.
The Samhain dragons in Glastonbury
And a glance at the weekend: Saturday is Samhain in Glastonbury, when the Red and White Dragons process down the High Street with drummers and Border Morris before the White Dragon claims the winter. Free, wonderfully daft, and the children will talk about it for weeks. Friday's Weekend Planner will have the full picture.
So pick a night, book a seat and get out there while the hedges are still orange. Times, venues and the full day-by-day list are all in the What's On This Week section below.
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🎄 Wells Unveils Christmas Plans: 200-Stall Market And New Icicle Lights
Wells City Council has set out its Christmas plans, and they are bigger than before. A two-day Christmas Market on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December will bring more than 200 artisan stalls, live music and entertainment to the city centre, stretching from the bottom of Sadler Street through Market Place, High Street, Queen Street and Broad Street. Warm white icicle lights will replace the old motifs on High Street and Broad Street, going up on 25 and 26 November, and a family Christmas trail with an interactive map will point visitors to the independent shops. The council says this is the first step in a longer-term plan to grow Christmas at Wells.
🛍️ Clarks Village Starts £3.2m Revamp With A Bigger M&S
Work is under way on a £3.2m scheme at Clarks Village in Street that will see M&S move into a larger, purpose-built store next summer. The unit currently occupied by Next is being rebuilt as two new units, with Next closing on Saturday and planning to return in a new spot in spring 2027.
🥊 Shepton Mallet's Round House Boxing Club Marks A Winning First Year
Round House Boxing Club on Shepton Mallet's High Street has celebrated its first birthday with a run of results. Rian Batten won his amateur debut by unanimous decision at a Frome Boxing Club show and was named best performance of the night, while in year one a youth boxer won the Manchester Box Cup and another reached the final. Coach Ross Kessell has now gained his professional licence, giving local boxers a route to turn pro, and the club has been working with community groups and charities along the way.
🏫 Glastonbury And Shepton Schools In Line For New SEND Places
St John's Infants and St Benedict's Junior School in Glastonbury, Whitstone School in Shepton Mallet and Fairlands Middle School in Cheddar are each proposed for eight new SEND unit places under a £9.3m Somerset Council programme. The aim is to teach more children with special educational needs close to home rather than in placements outside the county, with a target of 344 mainstream SEND places by late 2029. Each project still needs a feasibility study and consultation.
English Lessons from the
Uxbridge English Dictionary
Milkshake -
Arab chief who made his fortune out of cows rather than oil
Fervent -
an ermine lined heating duct
Transcribe -
gentleman writer who likes dressing up as a lady
Barbecue -
line of people waiting to have their hair cut
Alcove -
someone who's said to be 'a very splendid fellow indeed' when drunk
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The Pensford Lad Who Topped the American Charts
In May 1962 the number one record in America was by a man from Pensford. "Stranger on the Shore" made Mr Acker Bilk the first British act to top the Billboard Hot 100, and it was the UK's biggest-selling single of the year. Follow the story back, though, and it always ends up in a small stone village on the River Chew.
Bernard Stanley Bilk was born there in January 1929. His mother played the chapel organ and his father was a lay preacher. "Acker" was local slang for mate. When the University of Bristol gave him an honorary degree, it noted that he wasn't the only lad in the village called that.
He left school at 14, a couple of front teeth short after a playground fight ("back then we had hobnail boots"). He later lost the tip of a finger tobogganing, and he always said both shaped his sound. After the Wills tobacco factory in Bristol came National Service in Egypt, where he got his hands on his first clarinet. Then he came home to work in his uncle's forge. The uncle wasn't impressed, and accused him of spending all his time "sticking a bit of wood in his head".
Acker practised out in the fields. That spared the family, and it also gave him an honest idea of his tone. He formed the Chew Valley Jazzmen, turning a bell-ringer into a trombonist and a tea chest into a double bass. He later claimed the local cows briefly switched to yoghurt production.
He never really left. He had carved his name in the stone under Pensford's old bridge, and was sad to lose it when the 1968 flood swept the bridge away. He married Jean, a Pensford girl from his class at school. After years near London they came home, where he painted with his old bandmates. His only vice, a university orator joked, was cider.
The plack on Acker’s Memorial Bench - Pensford
He died in November 2014 and lies in Publow churchyard, right beside the river. A poem he wrote about it was read at his funeral: "A magical place was the old river Chew… I go back to the river whenever I can."
You can follow his trail in an afternoon:
the blue plaque on Pensford Post Office, once the Bilk family home
the stone bench beside the village lock-up, made by local sculptor George Tyler
the churchyard at Publow.
Over to you: Did you ever see Acker play, or bump into him in the village? Hit reply and tell us.
Monday 19 October
Halloween Showcase 2026 — 7.30pm, Strode Theatre, Street. Singing, dancing and spooky surprises from the Strode College Performing Arts Academy. £10 / £8. More info
Festival of Literature: Damien Lewis – Behind Enemy Lines — 6–7pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Peter Ormerod – David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God — 7.45–8.45pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. In conversation with Chris Salmon. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: International Competitions – Prize Giving and Poetry Readings — 2–5pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. Ticketed. More info
Tuesday 20 October
Millena & the Misfits — 7pm, Waldegrave Arms, East Harptree. Folk, pop and funk with a touch of sparkle. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Free entry, donations welcome. More info
Mad Men and Artists: How the Advertising Industry Exploited Fine Art — 11am–12.15pm (coffee from 10.15am), Caryford Hall, Ansford, Castle Cary. Arts Society Mid Somerset lecture with Tony Rawlins. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Members free, visitors £8. More info
Festival of Literature: Elizabeth Goldring – Holbein: Renaissance Master — 2–3pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Daisy Fancourt – Art Cure — 4.15–5.15pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. The science of how the arts transform our health, in conversation with Lucinda Hawksley. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Arthur Snell – elemental — 6–7pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. The new geography of climate change and how we survive it. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Sophia Smith Galer – How to Kill a Language — 7.45–8.45pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. Ticketed. More info
Our Show, Her Legacy (SWTA) — Strode Theatre, Street. A memorial evening of performance. More info
Group Soundscape with Helen Stillwell — 7.15pm (doors 7pm), Mells Barn. About an hour; pre-booking essential. More info
Wild Tribe 'Tuesday Takeover' Market — The Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury. Quirky weekly market with a cafe; dogs welcome. Free entry. More info
Wednesday 21 October
Follow the Plough: Growing Up on the Mendips – Les Davies MBE — 2.30pm, Cross Memorial Hall. Friends of King John's Hunting Lodge talk; refreshments. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Non-members £5 donation. More info
Henton Garden Club: X Factor – Neil Ross — 7pm refreshments, 7.30pm talk, Henton Village Hall (BA5 1PD). Ten tips to turn an average garden into a memorable one. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Non-members £5. More info
Festival of Literature: Oz Clarke – A Vine is a Wild Thing — 6–7pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. In conversation with Neil Tully. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Henry Normal – Collected Poems Volume Four — 7.45–8.45pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Sara Wheeler – Jan Morris: A Life — 2–3pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Florence Hazrat – On the Mark — 4.15–5.15pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. A history of punctuation from Ancient Egypt to the emoticon. Ticketed. More info
Behind the Scenes – Archive Tour — 11am, Shoemakers Museum, Street. See the museum website for prices. More info
Building Stones of Wells Cathedral (Mendip Rocks) — 10am–12pm, Cathedral Green, Wells. Guided geology walk with Stephen Thompson. £8 – sold out. More info
Matthew C. Whitaker (HENGE) – Live at The Tree House — 7pm, The Tree House, Frome. Solo fingerpicked guitar, folk and jazz from the HENGE frontman. 18+. £14.50 adv. More info
Thursday 22 October
Beth Calverley: Landscapes of Connection — 7.30pm, Chew Valley Library, Bishop Sutton. An evening of nature and poetry. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Free, booking required. More info
Festival of Literature: Amy Jeffs – Arthur: A New Life — 4.15–5.15pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Gavin Francis – The Unfragile Mind — 6–7pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. Making sense of mental health, in conversation with Charlie Taylor. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Oliver Bullough – Everybody Loves Our Dollars — 7.45–8.45pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. How money laundering won. Ticketed. More info
Simeon Walker – Lunchtime Concert — Glastonbury (venue on the ticket listing). Atmospheric contemporary-classical piano. Free entry. More info
Friday 23 October
Moscow Drug Club — 7.30pm, The Old School Rooms, Chew Magna. Jazz, musette, Latin and New Orleans swing. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Ticketed via Valley Arts. More info
Max Milligan – Around The World In 40 Years — Upton Noble Village Hall (BA4 6AS). Illustrated talk by the travel photographer. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. £15 including a drink; proceeds to the Friends of St Mary Magdalene. More info
Spooktacular Halloween at Shoemakers — Opens today, 10am–4pm daily to 1 Nov, Shoemakers Museum, Street. Museum of Lost Shoes trail every day, plus bookable storytelling, puppet-making, lantern workshop and Museum After Dark over half-term. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. Trail free with museum entry; activities £3.50–£6. More info
Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years — 7.30pm, Strode Theatre, Street. Tribute from duo Bookends. See What Shall We Do This Week? above. £22. More info
Fallen Angels by Noël Coward (screened) — 7.45pm Fri and Sat, Strode Theatre Studio, Street. Filmed-live Broadway production starring Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara. £14.70–£16.70. More info
Festival of Literature: Kate Williams – Regina — 2–3pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. A new history of women and power. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Rebecca Seal – Irritated — 4.15–5.15pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. The allergy epidemic, in conversation with Jo Durrant. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Dan Cruickshank – The English House — 6–7pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. A history in eight buildings, in conversation with David Lister. Ticketed. More info
Festival of Literature: Andrea Wulf – The Traveller — 7.45–8.45pm, Cedars Hall, Wells. The revolutionary life of George Forster. Ticketed. More info
Accidental Jazz Orchestra — The Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury. A night of dance and celebration. More info
The Charlie Miller Band — The King Arthur, Glastonbury. Funk and soul from Glastonbury's longest-running funk and soul band. More info
Northcote + Tom Jenkins – Live at The Tree House — 7pm, The Tree House, Frome. Canadian folk-punk with Welsh support. 18+. £15 adv. More info
Attila the Stockbroker — 7.30pm, Cheese & Grain Cafe Bar, Frome. Punk poetry, songs and early-music punk. Seated. £12 adv. More info
🎬 This Week at Wells Film Centre
Street Fighter [12A]
Forgotten Island [PG]
The Social Reckoning [15]
Heart of the Beast [12A]
Verity [15]
Sense and Sensibility [U]
🌡️ Wells BA5 Weather — Week of 19 October
A proper autumn week: showers on Monday and a wet, drizzly Tuesday, then it turns blustery from Wednesday with gusts over 40mph through to Friday evening. Highs of around 11–14°C, dipping to 6–9°C overnight. Not much dry weather about, so keep the coat handy for that Samhain procession on Saturday, which looks windy with showers.
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