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Blizzard conditions brought chaos to the area in February 1978 with the worst snowfall for thirty years. Conditions on the weekend of February 18/19 saw one stranded motorist die and hundreds of others were trapped. Helicopters had to be called in and almost every village community was cut off for a period.
Timsbury taxi proprietor Brian Franklin began the year by going on a diet. Brian who lived at Withy Mills Cottages and weighed twenty four stone was hoping to shed nine stone and in the process raise money for the Paulton Hospital Day Care Centre. He announced that he already had sixty sponsors supporting him to the tune of £450 and that he had enrolled at the Keynsham Weightwatchers Club. By the end of April four stone had come off.
South Road Methodist Church dedicated and opened its new kitchen extension. The dedication service was conducted by Rev. Kenneth Britton and the ceremonial ribbon to open the door was cut by architect of the scheme Niall Carter. Niall who had moved to Timsbury from Ireland with his family in the early 1960s was presented with a pen by Senior Steward Ted Hudson.
Timsbury Congregational Church celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a gala garden party in the church grounds. The event was opened by Mrs. V. Purnell, the only member surviving who had taken part in the stone-laying ceremony when the church was opened in 1928. The Bristol Citadel Salvation Band played selections throughout the afternoon.
Fourteen year old Susan Chilcott enjoyed more success at the Mid-Somerset Festival in Bath. She won the Bridgwater Studio Trophy in the vocal class for girls between fourteen and sixteen and the Oakey Trophy in the folk song class for girls from fourteen to eighteen. The adjudicator commenting on her portrayal of Geordie in the folk song section said that “an attractive voice and charming personality supported the performance”.
Timsbury Theatre Group won the prestigious Evening Post Rose Bowl for its production of “The Hollow”. The Agatha Christie thriller was produced by Bobby Gander and featured Postmaster Martyn Jeffs as the Inspector and Roger Bird as his side-kick. Amongst others taking part were Don Brown, Peter Goldsworthy, Sheila Allen and Judy Baker while modesty forbids me from saying who played the part of Gudgeon, the butler.
Mrs Dorothy Burnett paid a return visit to Timsbury in 1978 after emigrating to Canada with her husband thirty-two years previously. As Dorothy Eyles she had attended Timsbury Cof E School and she and her husband were staying with their great friends, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Pain at Prior’s Hill.
There was a large audience for the annual concert of Timsbury Male Voice Choir at the Conygre Hall in March. The choir under its conductor, the late Ken Janes, was supported by the Western Opera Players from Bristol and the Shaftesbury (Bristol) Crusade Brass quartet. Philip Hewitt was the compere.
Timsbury Cricket Club meanwhile embarked on a new venture with its first cabaret evening. The Pierrot Puppets and magician John Isaacs were top of the bill but the singing group Five in a Bar were forced to withdraw through illness and guitarist Simon William Day stepped in at the last minute. Mike Weaver provided the disco, Eric Nott was compere and some 170 people came along. The event was soon to establish itself as a permanent fixture in the Timsbury social programme .
Timsbury Athletic endured a topsy-turvy season in 1977/78. For much of the campaign they held a leading position in the Somerset Senior League Premier Division and went four months without defeat. However a crowded fixture list in the last couple of months saw a disastrous loss of form and fifteen defeats from the last seventeen matches almost brought relegation. There was disappointment too in the Somerset Senior Cup. Having reached the quarter-finals they were drawn away to Western League Shepton Mallet Town and were just minutes away from a famous 2-1 win. However a late equalizer forced a replay and in the second match at Timsbury the visitors ran out 4-1 winners after the Athletic had taken an early lead.