Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir will again be performing as part of Keynsham Music Festival on Friday, July 4, at St John’s Church from 7.30pm, with special guests Black Sheep Harmony.

Good Afternoon Choir founder Grenville Jones said;

“This will be a very special concert as part of the Festival. Black Sheep Harmony are a dynamic female A Cappella voice group from Bristol. So why not join us a for a wonderful evening of song.”

There are now 34 Good Afternoon Choirs across the West of England, South Wales and London and leader John Hare conducts the 50 voice Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir. They rehearse every Wednesday from 2pm-4pm at Keynsham Methodist Church Victoria Centre. There are no auditions and new singers are always welcome to go along and discover Singing in the Afternoon.

Tickets for the concert are priced £10 and available in advance from gac.ticketlight.co.uk or on the door on the night.

Doors open at 7pm for what’s bound to be a full church and a great night of music for everyone.

As part of the Mars Badminton Horse Trials there is an eventing championship for amateur eventers on their horses and even some ponies who qualified at various events during the year before coming to Badminton.

The competitors feel that they have made to the equivalent of Badminton proper or even the Olympics. They all comment on riding in front of the iconic Badminton house on the hallowed turf, jumping at the world famous lake, what a dream.

One of the competitors in this section of the trials was Kathryn Virjee based in Chew Magna. She very nearly didn’t make it, but her friends rallied around and kept her horse fit.

These competitors are truly dedicated to their horses and the sport, most having a full-time job, a necessity to pay for all the expenses involved with this sport.

Kathryn said it was a fabulous weekend and her visit as a competitor and “it was amazing to gallop in the park”. She stayed with her horse Brownstowns Seawatch, aka Wally, for the whole week, there are stables across the road from the park and a designated campground, where many parties took place with the competitors, grooms and owners into the night.

Kathryn didn’t have the best of draws going first in the dressage, show jumping and cross country, this would be a disadvantage to some, this trail blazer task is not easy.

Alex Bragg, who was placed in the main event, is one of Kathryn’s trainers and they walked the cross country together, Kathryn having walked it three times previously, and changed every approach to the fences. She followed his advice carefully and had a wonderful ride through the park without incident.

Kathryn gave up riding some 25 years ago, due to a combination of life, work, not having anywhere to keep a horse and financial reasons. Then life changes and she is now able to return to the sport, she rides in the colours she wore when at Pony Club.

Due to Wally’s ability, if Kathryn wishes to qualify again for the championships or move on within the sport, she has some difficult decisions to make over the coming months.

We wish her the best of luck in the next part of her eventing journey.

On May 4, Malcolm Saunders sent Fishermans Cottage and Diamond Cottage to Salisbury to compete in an amateur jockeys race over six furlongs.

Fishermans Cottage was prominent and led over two furlongs out, headed inside the final furlong, kept on and led again in the final strides to win by a short head. Diamond Cottage, in the same race, ran midfield and made headway over one furlong out, led inside final furlong, kept on but headed in the final strides.

A wonderful one, two for the owners of these two homebred horses, Pat Hancock and Eric Jones.

On May 7, Malcolm sent his own Redredrobin to Kempton, who finished in third. He led, but was headed and pressed the leader from over a furlong out, but weakened when short of room towards the finish.

COMMUNITY radio station Somer Valley FM has been awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The accolade was formally presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq, at a community celebration held at The Centurion Hotel in Midsomer Norton on Friday, May 16.

The award recognises the contributions made by volunteers who have helped shape Somer Valley FM into a vital and inclusive voice for the local community.

Station founder Dom Chambers welcomed His Majesty the King’s representative, the Lord Lieutenant, alongside deputy Lieutenant Thomas Sheppard. Also in attendance were Mayor of Midsomer Norton, Martyn Plant, and Debbie Huxham, president of the local Rotary Club.

Broadcasting full-time since 2008, Somer Valley FM expanded its reach in 2024 through a successful DAB licence bid, now covering Bath and most of Northeast Somerset. Its programming features a rich mix of local music, arts, heritage, sport, cultural content, and youth-focused broadcasting.

Mohammed Saddiq highlighted how volunteers can make a lasting impact through communication and community engagement. He placed special emphasis on the station’s work with local schools.

He said: “What started out in a classroom in 2006 has grown into what it is today. Over 500 volunteers have contributed to this initiative, and if you consider the number of young people supported through this journey, it reaches into the thousands. That is nothing less than extraordinary.

“The success of Somer Valley FM is down to good leadership and the commitment of its volunteers. I’d like everyone to join me in recognising their outstanding achievement with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.”

The station has an open-access approach to training and has created opportunities for both young people and adults to build confidence and develop skills in media production and broadcasting.

Accepting the award on behalf of the station were the two volunteer executive directors, Pete Helmore — Somer Valley FM’s first-ever volunteer — and Dom Chambers.

Mr Chambers has visited and worked with over 100 community radio stations across the UK.

Paying tribute to the community of volunteers who have sustained the station over the years, he said: “This recognition is for all the volunteers — past and present — who have given their time, energy and creativity to make this station a trusted voice for the Somer Valley community. It’s proof that when people come together to serve a collective mission, incredible things happen.

“Volunteer-led community radio is not only the backbone of community life across the country, but it’s also a major contributor to the UK’s broadcast industry.

“That role hasn’t always been fully acknowledged, but this kind of recognition from The Palace — which other community stations have also received — is a powerful step forward.”

Jo Davis, who has presented the station’s flagship breakfast show for the past five years, said: “I’m proud to be a volunteer at SVFM, and for us now to be recognised by the King is amazing.

“For me, this is about spending time doing something you absolutely love — and hopefully spreading a bit of that passion to others.”