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1966 will always be remembered as the year when England’s football team at last achieved the Holy Grail winning the World Cup in the memorable final at Wembley against West Germany. At local level it was decided for the first time to allow substitutes in Somerset cup games but only if a player was injured. Tony Russell stood down as Timsbury’s captain to be replaced by Roy Muspratt and sides would still be picked by a selection committee which met every Monday night at The New Inn. The era of the team manager had not yet reached Timsbury!
The Cricket Club agreed to make a presentation to Grenville Comer who had scored 102 in a match against Thornbury the previous season. Cuthbert Brain continued as captain with Peter Gibbons his assistant. The Club Chairman, Mr. S.G. Taylor (he was always known as Mr. Taylor and never by his christian name of Steve) reviewed a successful season which had seen Farmborough amalgamate with Timsbury and play as the Nomads. Very soon the club was to revert to a first and second eleven. Meanwhile Timsbury Horse Show returned to Emlett after a spell of 3 years at Kingwell.
Timsbury Secondary Modern School was becoming increasingly concerned about its future. Timsbury’s hopes of being the site for a new Comprehensive School looked less and less likely and at the annual Speech Day the Headteacher Mr. Creedy faced up to the reality of school closure. Much to the disappointment of governors and staff it seemed that pupils would soon be transferred to Comprehensives at Writhlington and Midsomer Norton. Principal Guest at the Speech Day was the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Rev E.B. Henderson. Earlier in the year the school had made a successful debut at the Wiltshire Folk Dancing Festival in Devizes winning the Senior shield for mixed teams.
A presentation was made after sung Mass to the village rector, Rev. H.V. Davies on the occasion of his sacerdotal Silver Jubilee. Rev. Davies received a pair of silver candlesticks and an antique snuff-box from the churchwardens on behalf of the congregation. A telegram of good wishes was also read out from the Parish Church in Norwich where Rev. Davies had offered his first Mass as an ordained Priest.
The annual Parish meeting voiced a need for a village hall in Timsbury and for the provision of public conveniences. The state of the roads received a good deal of criticism. At the General Election held on March 31 Paul Dean (Conservative) retained his seat but with a reduced majority. He was opposed by Brian Tilley (Labour) who came second and Mark Willies, the Liberal candidate.
Inevitably there were also sad moments in the life of the village. Colin Keeling’s father was killed in an accident at his Loves Hill Farm. Colin returned from feeding animals on another part of the farm to find his father lying beneath a tarpaulin sheet, a ladder and a pile of bales and other hay. A prominent member of the Timsbury community, Mrs. Kate Perrett, mother of Mrs. Dunster, died at the age of 88. She had been President of both Timsbury Male Voice Choir and the local branch of the St. Johns Ambulance Brigade, a member of Clutton Rural District Council and Treasurer of Timsbury W.E.A. Dramatic Society. Finally Timsbury said goodbye to Rowena Brock whose death at the age of 19 shocked the whole community. Rowena who had been a teacher and pianist at Tabor Sunday School had only just embarked on a teacher training course at St. Mary’s College, Cheltenham.