A young band from Hemyock has narrowly missed a place in the final of a battle of the bands competition.

Dicentra came third in heats for Somerset County Council's Battle of the Bands contest, held at the Somerset College of Arts and Technology, in Taunton, on January 6.

The competition offered one lucky band the chance to perform before Glastonbury Festival supremo Michael Eavis and spend a day in a recording studio.

Many in the Parish may have noticed that the church clock is not registering the
time. It has to be repaired! Although the clock is under the care of the Parish
Church this is part of the treasure, which belongs to the whole Parish. A
Honiton clock maker originally made the clock in 1748. From time to time it has
been repaired. In 2000 the winding mechanism was electrified. This was to
reduce the need of a person climbing up many steps to rewind two heavy
weights daily.

St Mary's Church, Hemyock are in need of a portable keyboard - mainly to be
used for Choir Practices. If you have one spare or hiding away unused please
contact Ron White 681020 or revron@btinternet.com

A devoted Hemyock community worker got to meet the Queen when she collected her MBE last month.

Heather Stallard went to Buckingham Palace with son Guy and Neil and daughter Margaret and said it was 'a day to remember.'

In the media and in conversation with others I am hearing a constant refrain - the complaint that we now live in a 'nanny' state. It begins with surveillance cameras. If you drive on certain roads, visit any town, city or even railway station your presence is noted and recorded. I suppose the argument for their use is based on the need for national security and they have been useful in bringing dangerous people to book. But even so, many see this as an intrusion, an infringement of our privacy and human rights. But it doesn't stop there - farmers complain of the satellites reporting back to the government on how they are keeping their livestock and what they are growing in their fields. If we have a 'sat-nav' in our car or tractor we can be tracked and when road pricing comes in they will know where we are at any given time of the day.

A charitable chap from Hemyock has given £2,500 to Devon Air Ambulance.  Lionel Bugg, of Hollingarth Way, Hemyock, has been fund-raising and banking donation boxes for the air ambulance for more than 10 years and his 2006 efforts raised £2520.49