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Mendiplodocus Daily — Issue #49 — Thursday 20 August 2026
Issue #49 | Thursday 20 August 2026
Good morning, Mendips! Rafts, rural pubs and a fireside storytelling evening lead the way today, plus a packed What's On as the Mendips gear up for the last weekend before the August bank holiday. Let's get into it.
🔥 Featured Event — Arthurian Legends by Firelight at Avalon Archaeology
🔤 Uxbridge English Dictionary — today's entry
📰 Hot News - Mendips Style — Town Hall's Heritage Open Days · MP's rural pubs campaign · Moat Boat Race · Community Farm open day · Cheese & Grain quiz night.
Would you love a Babycham?
📅 What's On This Week — across the Mendips
🌡️ Weather — Wells BA5 forecast
Featured Event
Fancy something a little different this evening? While campsites and festival fields buzz with music this weekend, Thursday night offers a much quieter alternative: storytelling by firelight in a reconstructed Anglo-Saxon hall. Avalon Archaeology's Great Mead Hall at the Avalon Marshes Centre in Westhay hosts Rattlebox Theatre for an evening of Arthurian legends — some familiar, some less so, all brought vividly to life around a real fire.
Storyteller Dave Oliver weaves the tales — mighty deeds, giant-killing cats and the magic, excitement and pathos of Britain's "once and future king" — accompanied live by musician Steve Tyler on a range of beautiful medieval instruments. Beverley Festival called it "epic storytelling & great atmosphere created by the live music — engrossing", and at just 50 minutes it's a low-key evening out that won't make for a late night.
It's part of the wider Summer at Avalon Archaeology season, running this Thursday (20 August) from 6pm to 7.45pm in the Great Mead Hall. Suitable for ages 7 and up, booking required at £15 — well worth grabbing a seat by the fire if you fancy something quieter than the weekend's bigger, louder events.
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📰 Hot News - Mendips Style
🏛️ Wells Town Hall Throws Open Its Archives For Heritage Open Days
Wells Town Hall is putting its archives on display for Heritage Open Days this September, with 1860s sewer maps and 1623 Sunday-trading rules among the highlights, plus a petty-sessions summons against a trader for mis-selling "fancy bread". The festival runs Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September, with the City of Wells Almshouses also opening its medieval buildings and gardens on Saturday 19 September.
🍺 Glastonbury MP Launches Campaign To Save Rural Pubs
Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke has launched a summer campaign calling for an emergency 5% VAT rate for hospitality, business rates reform and the scrapping of the "jobs tax", after new figures showed 1,120 Somerset businesses closed in the first half of 2026. She's touring pubs across the constituency through August, hearing directly from landlords, staff and customers about the pressures they face.
🚣 Rafts, Rescues And Fancy Dress: Wells Moat Boat Race Returns
The Bishop's Palace Moat hosts its annual charity boat race on the August bank holiday Monday (31 August), with categories running from the Rescue Race and Bishop's Cup to junior sprint and backwards races, plus non-race Best Raft Design and Fancy Dress awards. Team entries are now closed, but spectators are welcome to line the moat walls and cheer the fleet home.
🐑 Meet The Animals At The Community Farm's Open Day
The Community Farm on Walley Lane in the Chew Valley throws open its gates this Saturday (22 August, 10am-3pm) for a Community Farmer Day — meet the sheep and chickens, tour the fields and learn how the organic, community-supported farm works. Family-friendly activities run throughout the day.
🧠 Cheese & Grain's Brainy Sunday Quiz Returns To Frome
Frome's Cheese & Grain hosts its regular Cheese and Brain Quiz Night this Sunday (23 August, 6pm) in the venue's cosy Tree House bar — general knowledge, a pint and a bit of local rivalry. It follows Friday's Open Mic Night (21 August, 6.30pm) as the venue keeps its live and low-key nights coming through the bank holiday run-up.
English Lessons from the
Uxbridge English Dictionary
G
Giblets
Very small gibs.
Gladiator
An unrepentant cannibal.
Goblet
A very small mouth.
Grandstand
A shelf designed to display a large quantity of money.
Grapple
A cross between a grape and an apple.
Grappling
A young grape.
Would You Love a Babycham? Shepton Mallet's Sparkling Claim to Fame
Long before craft gin or artisan cider took over the shelves, Shepton Mallet was already home to one of Britain's biggest drinks phenomena — and it came in a tiny bottle with a golden deer on the front.
The Showering family had been brewing and innkeeping in Shepton Mallet since 1658, so they know a thing or two about local staying power. In the 1940s, brother Francis Showering — a chemist with a famously good palate — started experimenting with perry pears, including a naturally fizzy Swiss variety that gave the drink its sparkle without any added gas. The original name, "Champagne De La Poire," was a mouthful, so legend has it the actual name was born on the factory loading bay, where staff nicknamed the small bottles "baby cham" versus the "big cham" — and it just stuck.
Babycham launched nationally in 1953, but it was the 1957 TV advert — the first ever for an alcoholic drink in Britain — that turned it into a phenomenon. The genius move was marketing it directly at women, at a time when it was frankly frowned upon for a woman to order her own drink in a pub. Biographer Philip Norman called it "the first drink a woman could order in a bar without feeling a tart or a crone”.
The numbers got absurd fast. By 1973, the Shepton Mallet factory was pumping out 144,000 bottles an hour, and by 1977 Babycham sat on the shelves of 90% of British pubs. Local legend says only two pubs in the whole country refused to stock it — and both, fittingly, were in Shepton Mallet.
Then there's the mascot: a leaping fawn based on real Chinese water deer the Showerings kept on their estate. A 15-foot golden statue of "Bambi" has watched over the town for decades and was lovingly restored and rehomed at Kilver Court (now dubbed Babycham Gardens) in 2021.
Deer maintenance
The brand's cultural reach stretches surprisingly far: a 1975 court case over the word "champagne" helped shape UK drinks marketing law, and music fans might recognise the wordplay behind Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles. After decades under corporate owners, the Showering family's descendants bought the brand back in 2021 and brought production home to Shepton Mallet — proving the fizz never really left.
All week (Thu 20 – Mon 24 Aug)
Mythical Creatures Trail — Wells Cathedral. Family trail exploring myths and legends around the cathedral, included with admission, running daily through 1 September. wellscathedral.org.uk
Summer Fun on the Farm — Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury. Drop-in summer activities, animals to meet and Harry Brockway-inspired crafts, daily (Tue-Sun) through 4 September. swheritage.org.uk
School Summer Holidays at The Bishop's Palace — Wells. Trails and family activities across the gardens and Palace, included with admission, through 2 September. bishopspalace.org.uk
Thursday, 20 August
🔥 Performance: Arthurian Legends — 6-7.45pm, Great Mead Hall, Avalon Archaeology, Westhay. This evening's Featured Event — see above for the full write-up.
Tri.art Dance and Performing Arts Academy: West Side Story — 7-9pm, Merlin Theatre, Frome. Local youth academy stages its own production of West Side Story, running through Saturday. discoverfrome.co.uk
Walk & Wine Thursday — 6-7pm, meet near Penniless Porch, Wells Market Place. Weekly circular walk for women, finishing at Fosso Lounge for those who fancy a drink after. Facebook
Badger Walks at Glastonbury Abbey — 7-9pm, Abbey House. After-hours walk through the grounds learning about the abbey's badgers and wider wildlife. glastonburyabbey.com
Mythical Creatures Trail: Singing Serpents Workshop — 10.30am, Wells Cathedral. Themed craft workshop as part of the summer trail. Facebook
Nature Ninjas in the Community Garden: Potato Printing — Bishop's Palace, Wells. Drop-in family craft session inspired by the community garden's produce. wellssomerset.com
Family Activity: Puppet Theatre — 11am-1pm, Abbey Museum, Glastonbury Abbey. Make a puppet theatre and characters from recycled materials. glastonburyabbey.com
St John's Church, Glastonbury — Lunchtime Concert — 1pm, St John the Baptist Church. Free acoustic concert with Sarah Curtis Music, donations welcome. glastonbury.uk
Cars at Jadlam — 6-8pm, Jadlam Toys & Models, Glastonbury. Regular Thursday evening classic and modified car meet. glastonbury.uk
Stories, Myths & Magic! — 11am, Yeast Scrapstore, Glastonbury. Weekly storytelling and craft session for children with Rainbow Roots CIC, £10 per child.
Mini Beast Hunts — 2-4pm, Main Abbey, Glastonbury Abbey. Drop-in bug hunting for families. glastonburyabbey.com
Friday, 21 August
3 Wishes Fairy Festival — Garslade Farm, Wells. The 20th-anniversary three-day family fairy festival opens, headlined Friday night by 3 Daft Monkeys, with workshops, drumming circles and camping through the weekend. glastonbury.uk
Mendip Mini Fests — SOLD OUT. Mendip Basecamp, Churchill. This weekend's camper-only mini festival opens tonight with singer-songwriter Adam Lipinski from 7pm — tickets/pitches are fully booked, but it's worth knowing why the site will be lively if you're passing. mendipbasecamp.com
Meare Weekender — Meare Recreation Field, Meare. Community weekender begins; programme details are thin on the source page, worth a check nearer the time. glastonbury.uk
Open Mic Night — 6.30pm, Cheese & Grain, Frome. All welcome to get up and play. cheeseandgrain.com
80's Night (All Over 80s Live) — 8pm, The King Arthur, Glastonbury. Live 80s covers band night. glastonbury.uk
Day Trip to SLiMBRIDGE — departing Shepton Mallet. Community coach trip to Slimbridge Wetland Centre. sheptonmallet.nub.news
Bishop's Palace Summer Late Openings — 6-8pm, Wells. Bring a picnic and enjoy the gardens after hours. bishopspalace.org.uk
Beats 'n' Bites — 5.30-10pm, The Island, Midsomer Norton. Live music and community feasting — bring your own food and drink from local businesses.
Mini Beast Hunts — 2-4pm, Main Abbey, Glastonbury Abbey. Continues its Wed-Fri afternoon run. glastonburyabbey.com
Saturday, 22 August
History Adventures: Medieval Life Experience — 10am-5pm, Main Abbey, Glastonbury Abbey. Combat displays, crafts and costumed characters bring medieval life to the abbey, running through Sunday, with three shows a day. glastonburyabbey.com
Community Farmer Day — 10am-3pm, The Community Farm, Chew Valley. See Hot News above for the full write-up. inchewvalley.co.uk
Street & Walton Men's Shed: Bird Box & Bat Box Workshop — 10am-12pm, Quaker Meeting House, Street. Children 8+ (with an adult) can build their own bird or bat box, £5 donation, alongside Street Repair Cafe.
Tupenny Opera — The Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury. Psychedelic/prog-tinged original band play live. glastonbury.uk
No More All Male Lineups: Take Glastonbury — 7pm-midnight, The King Arthur, Glastonbury. A night of female and non-binary DJ talent. glastonbury.uk
Guided Glastonbury Abbey Tree Walk with Matt Witt — 11am-12.30pm, Main Abbey. Guided walk around the abbey's historic trees, included with admission. glastonburyabbey.com
Psychic Fair Glastonbury — Glastonbury Town Hall. Council-run psychic and wellbeing fair with readings, healers and stalls. glastonbury.uk
Street Repair Cafe — 10am-12pm, Quaker Meeting House, Street. Free repair café for broken electricals, textiles, bikes and toys. [email protected]
Tri.art West Side Story — 2-4pm matinee, Merlin Theatre, Frome. See Thursday above for the full write-up. discoverfrome.co.uk
3 Wishes Fairy Festival — Garslade Farm, Wells. Day two of the 20th-anniversary festival.
Mendip Mini Fests — SOLD OUT. Mendip Basecamp, Churchill. Headline act Missing Cat Band takes the Bandwagon stage tonight for campers already on site.
Meare Weekender — Meare Recreation Field. Continues through the weekend.
Sunday, 23 August
Giant Flea Market — Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet. One of the region's biggest flea markets, hundreds of stalls under one roof. visitsomerset.co.uk
History Adventures: Medieval Life Experience — 10am-5pm, Main Abbey, Glastonbury Abbey. Final day — see Saturday above.
3 Wishes Fairy Festival — Garslade Farm, Wells. Final day of the fairy festival.
Mendip Mini Fests — SOLD OUT. Mendip Basecamp, Churchill. Sunday morning yoga rounds off the weekend for campers on site.
Meare Weekender — Meare Recreation Field. Final day.
Cheese and Brain Quiz Night — 6pm, Cheese & Grain, Frome. See Hot News above for the full write-up. cheeseandgrain.com
Dread convention — Glastonbury Town Hall. Gathering celebrating dreadlock culture, styling and community. glastonbury.uk
Summer Sundays at Wells & Mendip Museum — 10am-4pm, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells. Sea monsters, a WWI trench and the Witch of Wookey — a family day at the museum, adult £6/family £12. wellsmuseum.org.uk
Open Afternoons at St Hugh's Church — 2-5pm, Charterhouse on Mendip. The little white church on the Mendips opens its doors for walkers, with refreshments and toilets on hand. chewvalleysouth.org
Monday, 24 August
Summer Stay and Make — 11am-1pm, Yeast Scrapstore, Glastonbury. Final Monday of this drop-in recycled-materials craft session for ages 3-12, donations from £5 per family. yeastscrapstore.co.uk
🗓️ Coming Up
Kinda Dusty Presents: Meatloaf by Candlelight — Wells Cathedral. Friday 28 August.
The Toasters — Live at the Tree House — Cheese & Grain, Frome. Friday 28 August.
Glastonbury Last Saturday Market — Market Place, Glastonbury. Saturday 29 August.
History Alive: Bowlore Medieval — Bishop's Palace, Wells. Saturday 29 - Monday 31 August.
Vicky Jackson: Pink — Cheese & Grain, Frome. Sunday 30 August.
Wells Moat Boat Race — Bishop's Palace Moat, Wells. August bank holiday Monday, 31 August — see Hot News above.
🎬 This Week at Wells Film Centre
Listings could not be retrieved this run — wellsfilmcentre.co.uk returned stale, years-old cached content on both direct fetch and the Apify fallback (a known recurring issue with this source). Rather than fabricate a programme, check the box office link below for this week's actual listings.
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🌡️ Wells BA5 Weather — Week of Thursday 20 August
Showery and on the cool side to start, brightening nicely for the run-up to the bank holiday. Thursday brings sunshine mixed with heavy afternoon showers and a rumble of thunder possible (highs of 20°C), with Friday following a similar pattern before turning drier into the evening. Sunshine returns for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with light winds and highs climbing to 23°C by Monday.
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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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