Taunton Round Table News

A hidden gem can be found on the outskirts of Bridgwater, Somerset – Stocklands Vineyard. On Tuesday 3rd October, 2023, members of Taunton Round Table (TRT) were given the opportunity to maintain the soon-to-be-harvested vines in return for a wine tasting session.

Run by Liam McEachen, the vineyard spans one hectare and produces thousands of bottles of wine each year. Upon harvest, grapes are carefully fermented into bottles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The wine is sold to pubs and retailers in Somerset and beyond.

Following the wine tasting, a much-needed meal was enjoyed at Pig & Wheel. Thanks goes to Liam who shared his expertise and delicious wine!

Pictured below: Joe Goddard (left) and Ritchie Cridge (right), members of Taunton Round Table.

On September 24, 2023, Taunton Round Table teamed up with Sophie Holt and her family to organise a bake sale at St. Andrew’s Church Hall in Taunton. Sophie’s journey inspired her to give back, with the goal of supporting two charities that helped her during her battle with cancer: Make-A-Wish UK and Taunton Round Table (TRT).

TRT members Jon Rata, Robin Clempson, Andrew Milsted and Gareth Buckley helped on the day, contributing homemade cakes and assisting with serving tea and cakes to the guests and collecting donations. Live music by Tone Woodwind and an engaging raffle added to the fun.

The event raised an impressive £1,572.24, split between the Make-A-Wish Foundation and TRT. Sophie’s initiative showcased the power of community support and demonstrated how a small group can make a significant impact. It was a fantastic way of marking Sophie’s five-year cancer-free milestone and hopefully will inspire others to get involved in the local community.

All funds donated to TRT will be used to support worthwhile causes in Taunton and the surrounding areas.

Yesterday evening we geared up and took on an infestation of zombies. We are pleased to report that all members survived!

From a plank walk to tennis, the virtual reality gaming set-up was great fun. A genuinely fantastic experience.

Thank you to Taunton Player Ready Virtual Reality (VR) Gaming, Escape Room & Laser Tag Venue who were excellent hosts.

We were grateful to have had the opportunity to refresh our trailer towing skills yesterday evening. Special thanks to Andrew Milsted (Table member) and the Land Rover Heritage Collection for allowing use of their Land Rovers for the experience. We hope the clutch has recovered!

The session came at a pivotal time as we begin our preparations for towing the famous Round Table Santa float around the streets of Taunton this coming December. Check out our events page for information on this years Santa Float.

Each year at our Beneficent Gala Dinner we auction off a Lot called Tabler’s Promise. It offers the chance to secure our group of highly skilled (well, to varying degrees) Round Tabler’s at ones disposal for a morning/afternoon/evening. We have completed a range of tasks over the years including gardening, furniture logistics, and more.

In 2021 the lead beneficiary of our gala dinner, Somerset Counselling Centre, won the Tabler’s Promise Lot. They requested we assist with painting their main counselling room. We gladly accepted the task and thoroughly enjoyed our time there!

Pictured: Andrew Worsdale (Chairman of Taunton Round Table) and Noelle Adler (Clinical Director at Somerset Counselling Centre)

Yesterday evening we took to the skies at Devon and Somerset Gliding Club in Dunkeswell.

While we didn’t have the altitude to barrel roll, each of us were given the opportunity to take control during the flight. The near-vertical take-off was awesome. The instructors were full of fascinating snippets of information about the gliders and ground beneath us.

A huge thank you to the team there, who made it an outstanding experience. Something we will certainly be doing again!

Yesterday evening we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Corner House Hotel, Taunton.

It was great to welcome previous members of Taunton Round Table as we went through the formalities and delivered our reports.

We are sad to say goodbye to three of our members; Harley Brown, Alistair Tudor and Ben Slade who have all been outstanding members of Taunton Round Table. However, we are grateful to Harley for agreeing to support us as our President for the coming year.

Andrew Worsdale has become Chairman for our 2023 financial year. Information about our members and their roles can be found in our directory.

We look forward to another successful year in Table!