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1947 was very hot and the dry summer constituted a real threat to the health of the Timsbury inhabitants. Earlier in the year the Parish Council had protested to Clutton District Council about their inability to provide an efficient water supply to the village and their concern proved well founded when the drought came. The top half of the village was particularly affected and people from there had to obtain water from those in the lower regions. Farmers suffered badly and residents could be seen queuing at wells.
Timsbury postmistress Mrs Cox retired after 30 years’ service to be replaced by Martyn Jeffs’ mother. Mrs Cox who had been a widow since 1917 when her husband was killed in action was a prominent member of the village community. She was President of the Women’s Institute, an active member of the WEA Players, Vice-President of both the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade and Timsbury Male Voice Choir. Mrs Cox was presented with a garden chair by ex-postman Mr T. Evans while her assistant Miss Eileen Young who also left received a polished walnut fruit bowl from another former postman Mr. W. Beacham.
1947 marked the culmination of a marvellous season for Timsbury Athletic. First they beat Denewood Blue 5-0 in the final of the Bath Chronicle and Herald Cup with the prolific Stan Evans scoring 4 of the goals and Cliff Dunster the fifth. Then they defeated Farrington Gurney 4-1 in the final of the Paulton and District K.O. Cup and to cap a wonderful campaign won the Bath and District League Second Division. In the match at Shoscombe that earned them the league title it was estimated that some 1000 spectators turned up to see them win 4-2. In all that season the team won 31 of their 39 games and Stan Evans scored an amazing 92 goals.
Timsbury WEA Players performed the Noel Coward three-act play Blithe Spirit in 1947 and it received excellent reviews. Produced by Mr H. Baird it attracted packed audiences to the Church Room and amongst its cast included Cliff Dunster who played Charles, Joyce Berry (Ruth) and Margaret Pickford (Madame Arcati). A combined concert was also held at Timsbury Secondary Modern School featuring Timsbury and Midsomer Norton Male Voice Choirs. Conducting the Timsbury unit was Mr Oliver Janes with the accompanist Mrs C. Emery.
There was competition success in 1947 for the Timsbury Male Voice Quartet of which my father was a member. He combined with George Fear, Bill Fear and Bert Fricker to win the silver trophy at the prestigious Bristol Eisteddfod and then came second in the Mid-Somerset Festival in Bath. The judge in Bristol, Mr Dale Smith spoke of the quartet as being an excellent combination.
30 beekeepers gathered in Timsbury for a demonstration and lecture by the county microcopist and expert Mr Bob Pullen in his own apiary. Mr Pullen who was Headmaster of Timsbury Secondary Modern School talked about the Snelgrove method of swarm control and demonstrated it with 2 of his hives.
At the Annual Parish Meeting the Chairman of the Parish Council, Mr C. Ruddock, explained that the street lighting had not been brought into operation because there had been a shortage of switches, brackets and reflectors. Then when the work was ready to be completed the government put a ban on street lighting because of the fuel situation. Meanwhile the Parish Council had tried to find a suitable site for a public convenience but had failed except in one case which was too costly to recommend because of its distance from the sewer.
A link service was held at Timsbury Tabor Church for those members of the congregation who were still away in the forces, namely Bryan Adams, Clarence Parfitt, Kenneth Hulbert and Howard Jones. Other members recently demobbed took part in the service including Wilf Bridges, Alan Bartlett and Claude Hasell. A tablet in memory of Percy Hatherill and Ronald Parfitt who had died in the war was unveiled by Wilf Bridges who was Superintendent of the Sunday School.
Finally the death occurred in 1947 of Rev. Grosvenor Bartelot of Vale House. He was apparently a very popular man who loved to talk to people about their names and ancestry of which he was something of an authority and also mended clocks and watches. The funeral service at St Mary’s Church was followed by a muffled peal rung by the Timsbury ringers conducted by Mr Bert Flower, the captain.