🎭 Sherlock Holmes vs The Hound of the Baskervilles — tonight at Bishop's Palace
Issue #5 | Wednesday 24 June 2026
Good morning, Mendips! Tonight, The Pantaloons bring their acclaimed outdoor take on the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery to the Bishop's Palace moat garden — and with a red extreme heat warning active today until 9pm Thursday, there could hardly be a better excuse to grab a blanket and find a shady spot for a summer evening of theatre. Elsewhere, flood damage is being tallied in Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet after Monday's storms, and there's a full week of music, jazz, opera, 80s parties and record-hunting ahead across the hills.
🎭 Sherlock Holmes at Bishop's Palace — this week's featured event
📅 What's On This Week — events across the Mendips
🎬 Films at Wells Film Centre
📰 In Other News — five local stories
🌡️ Weather — Wells BA5 forecast
🎭 Sherlock Holmes & The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Pantaloons bring their gloriously irreverent outdoor take on the most famous detective story in the English language to the Bishop's Palace and Gardens in Wells this Thursday 25 June at 6:30pm. Expect live music, audience participation, comic timing, and probably a few gasps — all set against the 800-year-old backdrop of one of Somerset's grandest medieval gardens.
The Pantaloons are one of the UK's best-loved outdoor theatre companies, known for high-energy, audience-inclusive adaptations of classic tales. Their take on The Hound of the Baskervilles balances gothic suspense with genuine comedy — a show that works equally well for people who know the story inside out and those who've never read a word of Conan Doyle. Bring a picnic, a rug to sit on, and something warm for later; the Bishop's Palace garden shows run rain or shine.
If you're planning a double evening this week, Wells Ghost Walk is running on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings — history, folklore and reported paranormal activity of the city after dark. Tickets for Sherlock Holmes should be booked in advance as Bishop's Palace outdoor shows regularly sell out.
📅 What's On This Week
All week (24–28 Jun)
Shepton Mallet Midsummer Festival — various venues, Shepton Mallet. Music, arts and community events across the town until Sat 28 Jun. Full programme
WOWFest: Wells Orchestral Weekend — various Wells venues. Classical music festival running until 12 July. More info
Harry Brockway: Ways With Wood — Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury. Exhibition until 2 Sep, free entry. Details
Today — Wednesday 24
Open Mic Night — 7pm, Kings Head, High Street, Wells. Free.
Wells Ghost Walk — evening, ticketed, small groups. A guided walking tour exploring Wells' history, folklore and documented reports of unexplained activity. Book at extours.co.uk
Thursday 25
Sherlock Holmes & The Hound of the Baskervilles — 6:30pm, Bishop's Palace & Gardens, Wells. See featured event above. Book tickets
Jazz: Micheal Hughes & James Chadwick (vibraphone & guitar) — 8pm, The White Hart, Wells.
Wells Ghost Walk (second night) — evening, ticketed. extours.co.uk
Friday 26
BarnFest 2026 (Fri–Sun) — Lands End Farm, Wells. Community worship and music festival running until Sunday.
Crystal Tides — live at The Tree House, Cheese & Grain, Frome. 7pm. cheeseandgrain.com
Baggy Mondays — Cheese & Grain, Frome. 7:30pm. cheeseandgrain.com
Saturday 27
Wells Record & CD Fair — 10am–3pm, Seager Hall, Union Street, Wells. £1 entry. Thousands of records, CDs and music memorabilia.
Gary Davies Summer 80s Day Party — Cheese & Grain, Frome. 1pm. cheeseandgrain.com
Ska & Reggae Night — The Unity Club, Street. 7pm. Details
Sunday 28
Opera in the Church: The Pirates of Penzance — 3pm, St Cuthbert's Church, Wells. Gilbert & Sullivan. £20 / £15 students. Book tickets
Walt Disco — live at The Tree House, Cheese & Grain, Frome. 7pm. cheeseandgrain.com
Scouting For Girls — Cheese & Grain, Frome. 7pm. Sold out.
🗓️ Coming Up
Party at the Palace — Bishop's Palace, Wells. 3–5 July. Three nights of live music: country (Fri), 90s (Sat), Kids Pop Party (Sun). bishopspalace.org.uk
Wells Italian Festival — Palace Farm, Wells. Sun 5 July.
Glastonbury Pride — Tor Leisure, Glastonbury. Sun 26 July. Bigger new venue, proper stage, free daytime entry.
Wells Beer Fest 2026 — Fri 31 Jul–Sat 1 Aug.
Night at the Abbey (Sophie Ellis-Bextor + Inspiral Carpets, Hot Chip, Orbital) — Glastonbury Abbey. Sat 12 Sep. Tier 2 still available: £45. Book now
🎬 This Week at Wells Film Centre
Toy Story 5 [PG] — 4:30pm & 7:30pm
Disclosure Day [12A] — 3:00pm & 7:00pm
Scary Movie [15] — 7:30pm
Backrooms [15] — 3:00pm
The Sheep Detectives [PG] — daily
NT Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses [15] — special screening (Lesley Manville & Aidan Turner, National Theatre)
Spider-Man: Brand New Day [TBC] — opens Friday 26 June
📢 Child prices drop from £5 to £4.38 from Thursday 25 Jun (government VAT reduction)
📰 In Other News . . .
📚 Library of Avalon faces huge flood clean-up
Glastonbury's beloved Library of Avalon has closed until further notice after Monday's flash flood swept through its High Street premises. Flood defences were overwhelmed for the third time in 25 years, and the library — a much-loved independent resource for esoteric and alternative literature — is appealing for donations, volunteer time and specialist expertise to help with the clean-up.
🌡️ Mendip schools shut as red extreme heat warning strikes
A Met Office red extreme heat warning is in force across the region today until 9pm Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach 38–40°C. Schools across Wells, Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury and Street are closed today; parents are urged to check directly with their school. Stay in the shade during midday, keep pets cool and check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours.
☕ Shepton café launches fundraiser after storm flood damage
The Cheeky Bean Café on Shepton Mallet High Street was flooded during Monday's storms. The owner has launched a GoFundMe that has already raised £1,730 from 85 donors — a heartening show of community support for a small family business. If you're a regular, the link is in the full story.
🌈 Glastonbury Pride moves to bigger new home at Tor Leisure
Glastonbury Pride 2026 moves to Tor Leisure for a significantly expanded event on Sunday 26 July. The new venue means a proper stage, more space, a fun dog show, Pride Sports Day and a free bouncy castle. The traditional march is returning, fully marshalled. Free daytime entry makes it one of the most accessible Pride events in Somerset.
🎵 Sophie Ellis-Bextor to headline Night at the Abbey
Night at the Abbey returns to Glastonbury Abbey on Saturday 12 September, with Sophie Ellis-Bextor topping a bill that also includes Inspiral Carpets, Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and Orbital's Phil Hartnoll on the electronica stage. Tier 1 tickets have already sold out — tier 2 is still available at £45, so don't leave it too long.
🌡️ Wells BA5 Weather — Week of 24 June 2026
A red extreme heat warning from the Met Office is in force today until 9pm Thursday — temperatures may hit 38–40°C across Somerset. Keep hydrated, stay out of the midday sun, and check on elderly neighbours. The good news: relief is forecast from Saturday, with a sharp temperature drop expected as the heatwave breaks. The weekend looks much more comfortable.
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