David has a busy and varied concert career having performed worldwide, on BBC Radio 3 and at The Proms. David has also been Organist and Head of Keyboard at Eton College. He has made several recordings, some of which will be available on the evening.
The Benefice
The Benefice is situated 19 miles south of Bath, 5 miles from Wells, and lies on the south side of the Mendip Hills. It has good road connections to Bristol and Yeovil as well as other nearby towns. The nearest mainline railway station is 8 miles away at Castle Cary.
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, The Mendip Hills lie to the north. The town lies on the route of the Fosse Way, the principal Roman road into the south west of England. In medieval times, the wool trade was important to the town's economy, although this declined in the 18th century to be replaced by other industries such as brewing; the town continues to be a major centre for the production of cider.
Current population is around 10,500 including distinct communities from Portugal and Eastern Europe. There has been considerable recent investment in the town and there is an air of optimism about its future.
Although significant numbers of residents work in Bath, Bristol and Yeovil the town provides some employment in the retail park close to the centre and at two stores on its outskirts, as well as its three trading estates. Shepton has a number of new businesses including good shops, hotels and restaurants.
Remodelling of the town centre is continuing. The Academy (formerly The Amulet Theatre) is now the home of the Musical Theatre School and has residential accommodation for its students.
The Royal Bath and West Showground, a regional exhibition facility which hosts New Wine and Soul Survivor annually, and the Glastonbury Music Festival at nearby Pilton, bring visitors and national attention to our town, as does the town’s major annual events of Collett Day (June), the Mid-Somerset Show (August) and Carnival Night (November).
In the summer of 2010, the BBC filmed a major history series titled The High Street to be aired on BBC 1 primetime in the autumn. The series portrays the trends in shopping habits in Britain’s High Streets from the Victorian era through to the 1970s. Many of our parishioners have been filmed contributing to the programme and the project is felt to have been of major benefit to the High Street traders and the town in general.
Doulting
With a population of around 600 the main village lies a mile and a half to the east of Shepton Mallet on the A361. The parish includes the hamlets of Bodden, Prestleigh, Beard Hill and part of Waterlip.
There is a Church school with 180 pupils in the village, just applying for VA status and with very strong links to the Church. Although this is mainly a farming community, the world famous Doulting stone is still quarried here and most of the employment is with the local aggregate quarries situated in the East Mendip area. There is also one large international transport company.
The village holds quite a few community events annually in the Village Hall which are either organized by the Church or the village social committee.
Cranmore
With a population of approx 450, West Cranmore village is situated high up on the eastside of the Mendips some four miles east of Shepton and eight miles from the town of Frome. The parish includes the small communities of Dean, East Cranmore and part of Waterlip.
Whilst the parish contains a large number of retired people, some younger families have settled recently and eight affordable homes were recently built to house young families from the area. Cranmore Community Group organises the villlage’s annual event on the afternoon of August Bank Holiday.
All Hallows’ Preparatory (independent) School with 315 pupils is in East Cranmore. A small preserved steam railway operates from what was once the local railway station, and The Strode Arms in the centre of the village is renowned for its excellent food.