The light is returning as we head for Spring, the snowdrops are starting to appear and on 3rd February we wassailed our young orchard at Weylands, in the hope of a good apple harvest in the autumn. Many thanks to everyone who came along on the day and helped to brighten a typically gloomy midwinter day. Thanks also to Frome Families for the Future, Bounds of Selwood Morris, the Tree Group, Charly, Charlotte, Annabelle and the wassail team, the amazing Frome Street Bandits and Oliver for providing the delicious Dowding’s mulled cider and apple juice. A traditional ceremony with a modern twist – we were joined by ITV West Country, Somerset Live and the team from the Climate Film Festival, recording the event for posterity.
Now we wait, and hope to fill the cider presses with the bountiful fruit of our small but mighty orchard!
We also chose our new town crier at the wassail on 3rd February – congratulations and welcome to Martin Scott, who will now be on hand for local events to proclaim messages and news for the town. Thank you to the other candidates Jon and Andrew for displaying their considerable vocal talents and making it such a difficult decision. If you’d like to book the new crier for your event, he already has a Facebook page – look him up at Frome’s Official Town Crier or email .
On 28th January, the teams at Donate IT and Fixy were at the town hall on for the first tech amnesty of 2024. They collected no fewer than 500 unwanted digital devices, donated by the community to help those affected by digital exclusion, which will now be wiped of personal data and redistributed. Anything that can’t be reused will be disposed of responsibly, with the precious metals inside finding homes in the devices of the future.
The people who donated to the tech amnesty saved items from landfill and helped strangers they will never meet are another example of the community spirit in Frome. As we navigate difficult times, it’s more important than ever that we look after and look out for each other. This is Frome.
