Burcott SkaFest Turns Up The Volume In Wookey
Issue #30 | Saturday 25 July 2026
Good morning, Mendips! The Burcott Inn's SkaFest is in full ska-and-reggae swing over in Wookey this weekend, Glastonbury Symposium and Glastonbury Pride both land in the same 48 hours, and there's a good run of markets, exhibitions and family trails to fill the gaps in between.
📸 Burcott SkaFest - Today's featured event
📅 What's On This Week — across the Mendips
🌳 Wells Little Theatre Tree To Take Its Final Bow
🏦 Wells NatWest Gets £315k Glow-Up As Closures Ruled Out
💧 MP Demands Action After 11,704 Sewage Spill Hours
🛍️ Glastonbury Traders Urged To Report Every Theft
🌡️ Weather — Wells BA5 forecast
🎪 Burcott SkaFest Brings Ska And Reggae To Wookey
SCABBA - Play SkaFest at Wookey this weekend.
What happens when Ska music meets ABBA? No, it’s not a joke. The result is SCABBA. One of the headline guests at The Burcott Inn, Wookey when it turns its paddock over to three days of live ska and reggae this weekend, running Friday 24 to Sunday 26 July.
Scabba promises “An Experience Like No Other” - and musically, that must be true.
Expect six live acts across the weekend, a full bar and food from midday each day, and campervan pitches for anyone making a proper weekend of it just a few minutes outside Wells.
This is SkaFest's third year at the Burcott, and it's grown from a single good night into a full weekend fixture on the Mendips calendar — the kind of thing a village free house can pull off when it decides to go big. Every ticket comes with a limited-edition Ska in the Paddock beer mug to take home.
Saturday brings ska sounds from midday building to The Decatonics at 6:30pm and Skacasam closing out at 9pm, while Sunday eases off into a family fun day with an open mic and entertainment for the children. Camping spaces are limited and booking is essential if you want to stay over.
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On the basis that sometimes “Less is More”, I’m going to make this the last Saturday edition for a while and concentrate on pouring all into the Monday to Friday editions. So Friday will be the big round-up of events for the weekend and we’ll gird our loins again for Monday.
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The power of “What am I grateful for Today?
Here’s my little tip for looking forward to every new day.
When life feels stuck, the mind has a habit of collecting evidence that everything is going wrong. Gratitude is the antidote.
Most days, I ask, “What am I grateful for today?” It doesn’t mean pretending everything is wonderful. It just helps me focus on what is still working, however small.
It might be family love, the sunrise over Chew Valley Lake, a dog’s waggy tail greeting or the fact that one awkward job is finally finished. None of these solves every problem. It’s just that the mind can only focus on one thing at a time - and if you make it a good thing, you crush the negativity that tries to creep in.
You feel slightly calmer, think more clearly, and become more ready to take the next step in life.
Try this at bed-time or when you first wake up.
Write down three things you are grateful for.
Make them specific. “The sun came out during my walk” works better than “nature”.
Choose one small action that follows from the list.
Grateful for a friend? Send them a message.
Grateful for your garden? Spend ten minutes in it.
Grateful for an opportunity? Take the next step before tea.
Gratitude will not fix everything. But it can turn the day around by a few degrees. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Paul
English Lessons from the
Uxbridge English Dictionary
I
Icicle
A bicycle made by Apple.
Idaho
I'm a prostitute.
Impale
Alcoholic beverage for a small goblin.
Implement
Funeral dirge for a small goblin.
Important
Buy an ant from abroad.
All week (25–29 Jul)
Wookey Uncovered — Wookey Hole Caves, Wookey. Guided tours of the ancient caves and Victorian papermill, running all summer. wookey.co.uk
Harry Brockway: Ways With Wood Exhibition — Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury. Wood engravings and sculpture, Tue–Sun 10am–5pm, runs to 2 September. More info
Mythical Creatures Trail — Wells Cathedral. Family dragon-hunting trail, 9am–4.30pm daily, included with admission, runs to 1 September. wellscathedral.org.uk
Summer Fun on the Farm — Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury. Drop-in crafts, galleries and visiting animals, runs to 4 September. swheritage.org.uk
Saturday 25 July
Glastonbury Symposium — day two of three, Glastonbury Town Hall. Talks on ancient mysteries, consciousness and earth energies. glastonburysymposium.co.uk
Burcott SkaFest — The Burcott Inn, Wookey. Live ska sounds from midday — see Featured Event above.
Mendip Storytellers Summer Event — 2pm–5pm, Rock Farm, Windsor Hill Lane, Shepton Mallet. Summer storytelling and folklore with tea and cake. mendipstorytcircle.com
Glastonbury Last Saturday Market — Market Place, Glastonbury. Monthly artisan market with local food and crafts. Free entry.
Singing Workshops for 4–18 Year Olds — 9:30am, Henton Village Hall, near Wells. Facebook event
Sunday 26 July
Glastonbury Pride 2026 — main programme 10am–4pm, Tor Leisure, Glastonbury. Main stage, market stalls, food and the Pride march departing the Town Hall at 1:30pm. glastonburypride.co.uk
Burcott SkaFest — family fun day, The Burcott Inn, Wookey. See Featured Event above.
Glastonbury Symposium — final day, Glastonbury Town Hall. glastonburysymposium.co.uk
Ghost Walk of Wells — evening guided walk through the historic streets, town centre meeting point, Wells. wellssomerset.com
Monday 27 July
Strode Theatre Summer School begins — four-day performance camp for ages 7–14, Strode Theatre, Street. Runs to Thursday 30 July. strodetheatre.org.uk
Summer Stay and Make begins — 11am–1pm, Yeast Scrapstore, Glastonbury. Weekly drop-in craft session using recycled materials, ages 3–12, runs Mondays to 24 August. Donations from £5 per family.
Tuesday 28 July
Strode Theatre Summer School continues — Strode Theatre, Street. strodetheatre.org.uk
Wednesday 29 July
Strode Theatre Summer School continues — Strode Theatre, Street. Final day is Thursday 30 July. strodetheatre.org.uk
🗓️ Coming Up
Ghost Walk of Wells — Thursday 30 July, evening. Town centre meeting point, Wells. wellssomerset.com
Wells Beer Festival 2026 — Friday 31 July to Saturday 1 August, The Sheep & Penguin, Wells. Over 40 craft beers, street food and live music. wellsbeerfest.co.uk
Sacred Shadows — Somerset Chamber Choir — Saturday 1 August, 7pm, Wells Cathedral. Tickets
History Alive: Britain at War — Saturday 1 to Sunday 2 August, Bishop's Palace, Wells. WW2 re-enactment weekend, included with admission. More info
🎬 This Week at Wells Film Centre
The Odyssey [TBC]
Moana [TBC]
Minions & Monsters [TBC]
Toy Story 5 [PG]
Spider-Man: Brand New Day [TBC] — from Friday 31 July
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📰 In Other News . . .
🌳 Wells Little Theatre Tree To Take Its Final Bow
The protected London Plane tree in the car park at Wells Little Theatre is to be felled after Somerset Council granted consent, following years of investigations into root damage beneath nearby drains. The theatre says it explored every alternative first and hopes to give the tree a second life as a feature made from its own timber.
🏦 Wells NatWest Gets £315k Glow-Up As Closures Ruled Out
NatWest has spent £315,718 refurbishing its Wells branch with upgraded tech, comfier seating and refreshed staff facilities, as part of a £50 million nationwide programme. The bank has promised no further branch closures in Wells until at least 2029, reassuring customers who still value banking face to face.
💧 MP Demands Action After 11,704 Sewage Spill Hours
Wells and Mendip Hills MP Tessa Munt is calling on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to overhaul the water industry, after analysis found sewage was spilled into local waterways for 11,704 hours across 1,081 incidents last year. She's backing a return to a customer-owned mutual model for water infrastructure.
🛍️ Glastonbury Traders Urged To Report Every Theft
Glastonbury traders have been urged to keep reporting every shoplifting and antisocial behaviour incident, however small, after councillors heard police are combining reports to build evidence against repeat offenders. Officers say unreported incidents don't show up in crime statistics — and without statistics, resources don't follow.
🌡️ Wells BA5 Weather — Week of 25 July 2026
The weekend starts fine and warm with highs around 21°C, though Saturday's sunshine gives way to thickening cloud and a spot of evening rain. Sunday turns fresher and breezier with some sunny spells and a light shower or two — a decent excuse to pack a light jacket for SkaFest and Pride.
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Paul Branston, Editor
Hi, I’m Paul Branston and I publish the Mendiplodocus every morning, Monday to Saturday. Each issue goes out to a growing base of thousands of local residents who want to keep up to date with events and local news. If you have events or news to share or you have a local business to promote, please get in touch.
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