Special Issues:

The 2009 Special Issue:
Prelude to War: the Somerset Coalfield in 1939

Written by Keith Trivett, the 2009 special edition, published in December 2009, is available from the Museum shop priced £3.00. As the Country marks the seventieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, Keith Trivett takes a look at life in the Somerset Coalfield on the eve of war.  Drawing on the archives of the Somerset Guardian and the Radstock Observer, with a glance at headlines in some of the national newspapers, he finds out how everyday life became increasingly dominated by the spectre of and preparations for war. The newspapers’ archives provided a rich source of information which has formed the basis for this special issue.

2008 : Living off the Land

Written by Richard Maggs, the 2008 special edition is available from the Museum shop priced £3.00. The topography of Somerset, with its hills, moorlands, river valleys, wetlands, grasslands, meadows and forests, has made Somerset one of the best-recognised counties for agriculture throughout the centuries. This edition offers an insight into aspects of farming in the local area, including material collected for an exhibition at Radstock Museum.

2006 : Transport & Industrial Development in the Somerset Coalfield


Written by Chris Handley, the 2006 special issue was published in
December 2006 and is available from the Museum shop priced £3.00.
This overview provides a great starting point for anyone interested in the
development of the Somerset Coalfield and its infastructure.
A comprehensive bibliography is included.

2005 : Women in Mining Communities

Written by J. Dexter and Dr J. West the 2005 special issue was published
in May 2005, and is available from the Museum Shop priced £3.00. It looks
at the role of women in mining communities in the nineteenth century, from
research undertaken as part of the European Culture 2000 Project in which
the Museum Society has been involved. Julie Dexter provides a survey of
womens' roles across UK, and Dr John West looks in more detail at the
day-to-day lives of the women of Radstock.

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Five Arches is read throughout the coalfield, across the country and around
the world thanks to the subscription service and the support of local retailers.
 

How to Subscribe
 
The Five Arches subscription service started in 1987, and ensures that
the first copies of each new edition are delivered straight to Dennis Chedgy
for dispatch to subscribers ‘hot from the press’. Only then are the rest of
the copies delivered to the Museum Shop and local retail outlets.
 
Five Arches is available on subscription at the current price of £11.50 per
annum (overseas subscription £15.50). This covers the cost of three issues,
including postage and packing. As a subscriber to Five Arches you will also
receive the the annual special issue free of charge.

To join the growing number of readers who take advantage of this
opportunity please send your name and address together with a cheque
made payable to Radstock Museum to:

Dennis Chedgy
La Ronda
Manor Road
Writhlington
Radstock
BA3 3NA


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What’s in Five Arches?
 
Five Arches features articles on a wide variety of subjects including:

Local Heroes – Heroes come in many shapes and many guises – among
them are war heroes like Group Captain Bob Braham, Oliver Brooks and
George Prowse; mining heroes such as Henry Golledge, and the men of the
Mines Rescue Service; sporting heroes, like the world champion quoits team
from Radstock; and Henry Tasker’s traction engine, ‘Hero’! For many of
our local heroes, their achievements are recognised with the award of medals
and certificates – the Victoria Cross, the Edward Medal, or the cups and
medals won by sporting heroes. For others, the achievement lives on in the
memories of those who were there. It is these stories which have brought
some of the most poignant articles to the pages of Five Arches.

The Music of the Coalfield – Scratch the surface of a mining community
and you will hear the music that lies at the heart of it. Over the years,
Five Arches has featured numerous articles on the music and musicians of
the area – from Henry Cave’s fiddle playing, and Songs of the Coalfield in
Issue 3, through the church and chapel choirs that were an integral part of
worship and faith, to the organ builders from Carlingcott and Peasedown
in Issue 43. Ron Perrett recalled music in the home, in the days before radio
and television, in Issue 13, while Midsomer Norton Male Voice Choir
celebrated its centenary with a special article in Issue 33. Sadly the Male
Voice Choir is now a part of our past – but when they put away their music
sheets earlier this year, they donated a number of items to the Museum
collection.

Local Businesses – The history of the local economy is dominated by
mining, which has featured in many articles, along with businesses
traditionally associated with mining: the iron industry – including William
Evans of Paulton, Westbury Iron, and Fussells at Mells; the coal gas
industry; and the railways and wagon works. Articles on local retailers and
manufacturers demonstrate that the history of the coalfield is not just about
mining: Radstock Co-op; Coleford Industrial Co-operative Society;
Gay’s hardware shop in Paulton; family butchers, Shearns and Mitchards;
Charlton’s timber merchants; Dent’s glove factory. The motor trade gets
plenty of attention with articles on Midsomer Norton Motor Company, and
the Mendip Queen, as does brewing. Holcombe, Oakhill and Coombes
breweries all feature in their own articles, as does the story of Somerset
cider, while Dick and Dennis have visited most of the public houses in
their rambles…

Household Names – There are many names that we associate with our
past. Names from our childhoods, names from the communities we grew up
in. To hear them given voice conjures up the images and memories from
which our understanding of our own past, and our heritage, is drawn.
Among those that have featured in the pages of Five Arches are national
figures such as Scott of Antarctic, Lord Nelson, and John Wesley; local
figures, including James McMurtrie, Fred Swift and Ron Gould; and local
institutions like the ‘S&D’, the Co-op, and Radstock Market. For everyone
concerned, the names bring forth slightly different emotions and views, and
it is that diversity of perception that enables us to return to familiar subjects
again and again – Coombend featured in a number of previous issues, and
is revisited in Issue 50 by John West, Isabel Cheetham and Christine Rix!

Family History – For many people interest is focused on finding out more
about their ancestors and the world in which they lived. Over the years,
Five Arches has helped many readers with their queries, and many
contributions from readers result from research into their family history.
Among the many items that can help you uncover more about your family
are old photographs, certificates of birth, death and marriage, and old letters
and diaries. The journey for everyone is different – but the road travelled is
always fascinating.

Do It Yourself – Tackling historical research is addictive and, to help,
Five Arches run the occasional ‘D.I.Y.’ series. These have included
fieldwalking, the use of maps and trade directories, medieval manuscript
sources, and nineteenth-century census returns. In them, historians
demonstrate just what can be discovered using different approaches to
research, enabling you to find out more about the past for yourself.

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Contributions to Five Arches
 
The success of Five Arches lies in the quality and diversity of the material
provided by its contributors. Here we tell you how articles start, and what
form they come in.
 
The start of an article…

as ideas discussed by the Production Team – which one of the Team
has to explore, develop and write up (or convince someone else to write up);
the latter is usually the case with special issues. Among the numerous
articles written by Production Team members are: Dick Graham and
Dennis Chedgy’s popular ‘rambles’, Norman Voake’s school histories, and
Keith Trivett’s series on local families such as the Scobells of High Littleton
and the Rees-Moggs.

as suggestions made by readers – not everyone is comfortable putting pen
to paper, but they may have good ideas that can be the basis of great articles.
For example, ‘Henry Taskser’s ‘Hero’’ in Issue 40, and ‘Operation Market
Garden...’ in Issue 45, were both inspired by ideas from Eric Kemish.
Material for such pieces often arrives as a collection of connected items –
like press cuttings and letters – ready for someone (often the editor) to sort
through and pull together. A meeting or exchange of letters with the person
who made the suggestion can help enormously in this process. This approach
produced the article on the Lodge and Hamblin brothers’ bravery in the
Somerset mines, in Issue 48, ‘Brotherly love and the Edward Medal’.

as completed articles – submitted by readers and visitors to the Museum,
based on their own experiences or research. For example, Peter Anderson’s
article on shepherd Henry Wareham, in Issue 21, or Ralph Howell’s 
experiences on D-Day, also in Issue 21.
 
If you have an idea for a future article, or would like to write for us, please
contact the editor or a member of the Production Team via the Museum.
 
 
What format do they come in…?

However they start, as long series, one off pieces, or little corner fillers,
the completed articles find their way to the editor in a variety of formats –
any of which you can use to contribute:

hand-written – on scrap paper or in old notebooks, as with Jim Carpenter’s
memories of the 1908 Norton Hill explosion in Issue 43, or Joyce Young’s
memories of life in the 1930s, in Issue 49, and anything written by
Vic Witcombe.

typed on a good old fashioned typewriter – as with Ira Janes’ memories
of Timsbury in Issue 50 or Don Aris’ story of World War Two pilot,
Group Captain ‘Bob’ Braham in Issue 37.

as hard copy of word-processed documents – such as Bill Young’s
memories of Radstock in Issues 44 and 45.

as audiotapes ready for transcription – Cyril John Gilson’s ‘Memories
of a Somerset lad’ in Issue 49 started that way, because rheumatoid arthritis
made writing an impossibility, as did some of the Museum archive material.

on floppy disc or CD – regular contributors Jonathan and Valerie West
submit their articles this way, as does Irene Burchill.

by e-mail – Chris Handley, Roger Halse and Jayne Lawes all submitted
their articles for Five Arches Issue 50 this way. If you want to send an
article by e-mail, please ring the Museum and ask to speak to the Editor.
 
For anyone interested in contributing to future issues, copy deadlines are:
• for the Easter issue – 30 January
• for the summer issue – 30 April
• for the winter issue – 30 September

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The Five Arches Special Issues
 
From the outset, in 1986, the Society hoped to publish four issues of Five
Arches a year – an aim not finally achieved until the launch of the Five
Arches specials in November 1998. The special issues allow room for a
more in-depth exploration of a specific topic than is possible in an article
limited to 2-3000 words, or without having to spread it over several issues,
and usually feature the work of at least two authors.
 
Distinguished from the main issue by its A5 format, and delivered free of
charge to subscribers of Five Arches, the special issues to date include:

In 2004, the special issue was been incorporated with the summer edition
of the main Five Arches journal, to mark the fiftieth edition of the latter.
Women in Mining Communities, (2005) by Julie Dexter and Dr John West
 
If you have an idea for the subject of a future special issue, please let
us know.

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The Five Arches Rambles
 
One of the longest standing elements of Five Arches, and the most popular,
is the Five Arches Rambles, which began in Issue 5 in 1987.
 
Produced by two of the longest serving members of the Production Team –
Dick Graham and Dennis Chedgy – the first ramble started at Victoria Hall,
Radstock, and headed out of town on the Frome Road. Since then Dick and
Dennis have reambled the length and breadth of the coalfield, sometimes in
the company of old friends. Along the way they have met new friends and
sampled the goods in many of the local hostelries.
 
The rambles capture memories of times past, relating them to the
communities we know today, and many people have used them as a starting
point to explore the Somerset coalfield. For details of the rambles to date,
see below:

Destination  Ammerdown Babington Benter Camerton  Carlingcott Charlton Chilcompton Clandown Coleford Dunkerton Faulkland Foxcote Green Parlour  Highbury Kilmersdon Leigh on Mendip Ludlows Colliery   Mells Midsomer Norton

Issue 28 29 47 12 11 25 20-22 14-15 30-34 10 6 8 6 33 25-27 38-40 53 36-37 18-19

Destination Mill Road, Radstock Moorewood Newbury Oakhill Peasedown Radford Radstock Shoscombe Single Hill Stoke St Michael Stones Cross Stratton-on-the-Fosse Turner’s Tower Tyning Vobster Wellow Welton Woodborough Woodborough Lane

Issue 52 47 29 42-46 9 13 5; 49-50 7 7 41 17 23-24 6 51 35 7 16 8 50

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The History of Five Arches
 
The Early Days: Issues 1-7
Educating people about the history of the Somerset Coalfield has always
been one of the core objectives of the Museum Society. With no permanent
home, a journal offered an ideal way of meeting this aim, whilst also raising
awareness of the Society’s activities.

In November 1985 six members of the Society therefore volunteered to
‘have a go’ at producing a magazine. Julian Rutter, a history teacher at
Writhlington, emerged as editor and the rest of the crew came from a variety
of professions and trades. None of them had any knowledge of printing or
publishing, but with the help and guidance of Bob Hickling, who facilitated
the printing of the first seven issues, they embarked on the Society’s first
major project.

Bob’s early advice and assistance was invaluable: typeface, number of
columns, size of paper, and layout – all had to be considered. The layout of
three columns came from History Today, and it was hoped that articles on
families, industry and times past would capture the imagination of enough
people for the journal to succeed.

With the format agreed, the new magazine needed a name. Choosing one
was not easy but the Society was proud of the final choice, Five Arches.
Although no one is sure who first came up with the idea, it was felt to be
representative of the area’s industrial history.

Physically producing the magazine was the next major hurdle. How should
the material be presented, and at what cost given the Museum Society’s own
need to raise funds? Again, Bob’s support was invaluable, as he approached
the Standard Check Book Company for assistance. Managing Director
Tony Merrick and Production Manager Howard Stevens agreed that,
providing it did not delay their programme, Bob and company apprentices
could produce each issue on their premises.

Even with an initial print run of 2000, and a cover price of 50p, the sale of
every copy would have barely covered the production costs. Standard Check
Book in effect contributed £1000 to the Museum Society with every
issue produced.


Seeking Stability: Issues 8-12
Each issue produced resulted in a small growth in circulation. Comments
were invited, and plenty were received, with some lively debate in our local
newspapers – most of which was positive and encouraging.

However, in the spring on 1989 Five Arches faced near disaster when the
Standard Check Book Company, sponsors of both paper and printing costs,
were involved in major business restructuring. Overnight the journal lost the
support it had received from them and from Bob Hickling. Despite appeals
for assistance, it quickly became clear that for Five Arches to survive in the
long term the Production Team would have to do much more themselves,
and costs would have to be cut.

Colour printing gave way to black and white, to save on costs, and the
Production Team rolled up their sleeves. Issues 8 to 12 reflect a variety of
‘publishing techniques’ as the Team got to grips with the tasks involved.
Long-standing members of today’s Production Team, like Dennis Chedgy,
still recall the chaos of giving up their living room floors to be used as
compositing rooms: paper, scissors, paste, clips, staples, pictures, column
guides – too much space here, not enough space there. It took some getting
used to the fact that on an A3 sheet you would find page four on the left
and page seventeen on the right; a full mock-up was needed to keep things
on track.

There were numerous credits in the journal during this period, and they
varied from issue to issue. Eventually Dick Graham, another long-standing
team member, came to the rescue gaining permission from I.P.L. Gardener
to use their premises after hours. Though preparing the layout for each issue
was a lengthy process, the purpose-built surroundings made life easier, and
the Team became familiar with what was required. Even so, once the pages
were printed there was the never ending task of collation – miles of walking
around half a dozen tables, then stapling and folding.


Consolidation: Issues 13-24     
Julian Rutter finally stood down as editor after twelve issues, and the role
was taken over by Julie Crompton. New to the Team, Julie had no previous
experience of producing a journal, but her hands on approach, and the
support received from experienced Team members, reduced the stress levels
for all those involved in Five Arches. In addition to copy-typing all the
articles, the new editor set about learning how to use the latest desk-top-
publishing system under the guidance of team member, Stephen Marks
(former Vice Chairman of the Museum Society).

At the same time, a reassessment for the journal’s finances accepted that
commercial printing was essential to ensure its future sustainability. Since
Issue 14, Five Arches has been printed by Fosseway Press at Radstock,
whose initial advice on technical issues was followed by good-humoured
toleration of the sometimes erratic production schedule.

With a sound financial base, and a growing circulation (helped by the
subscription service), the journal ‘broke even’ for the first time, and has
since made a small profit to contribute to the Society’s funds every year.

The journal format standardised with twenty pages per issue and the
development of a ‘house-style’. With the pressure of physically producing
each issue reduced, there was more time for team members to pursue
stories… a steady stream of articles resulted which, along with the
unsolicited items from readers, ensured a diverse spread of articles as the
Five Arches we are familiar with today emerged.

Production also settled into a steady routine – three times a year to coincide
with the Museum’s Easter Fair, the first week in July, and the Museum’s
Christmas Fair. The regular publication and variety of articles appealed to
readers and subscription numbers rose steadily – by the end of 1995 Five
Arches was being sent to nearly 200 subscribers across the world, and
copies were also on sale at the Museum and from a number of local shops.


Coming of Age: Issues 25-36
With twenty-four issues already ‘on the shelf’ the twenty-fifth edition
coincided with the tenth anniversary of the publication of the first issue.
To celebrate, the Team set about seeking sponsorship for a double-length
special issue, which was launched with a small temporary exhibition at
Haydon in the spring of 1996.

The Team also reported that two of its earlier issues were now ‘out of print’ -
Issue 5 from December 1987, which featured the story of Lord Nelson’s
connection with Radstock, and Issue 11 from the winter of 1990, featuring
the story of Dymboro House, home of Dr Arthur Bulleid.

Confirmation of the maturity of the Museum Society’s first major
achievement came when the production process remained unaffected by the
loss of long-standing team members, Tom Randall (after Issue 26) who had
been responsible for the regular book reviews and Julian Rutter (after
Issue 30).

Although the six remaining members of the team were by then well-
experienced in producing each issue, pressure began to tell as they embarked
on a new challenge – launching the first Five Arches ‘Special Issue’ in
November 1998. The advent of the annual special issue finally fulfilled the
Society’s original ambition to publish its journal four times a year.

The reduced size of the Team was compounded when the editor got a
‘proper job’, working for Somerset County Council, drastically cutting the
free time available to produce each issue... New blood – Christine Prout
(from Issue 31) and Norman Voake (from Issue 34) – joined the Production
Team, and the increasing use of computer technology were drafted in to help.

Soon articles began to arrive on ‘floppy discs’ in ‘rtf’ format, reducing the
hours spent copy-typing, and the proof-reading of each issue became a group
task, proving once again that Five Arches is very much a team effort.


Tried and Trusted: Issues 37-49
Over the next four years, the Production Team filled twelve more issues and
four special issues. Though well versed in the processes and rhythm of the
work involved, the standards set and readers’ expectations mean every issue
is a challenge – some more so than others.

For example, the Five Arches Special Issue,' Geology and the Somerset
Coalfield' became on of the most difficult challenges when the complexity
of the subject proved too much for the regular team to handle. With time
running out, the Team was assisted in resolving the problem by Andrew
Mathieson and Alan Bentley, who applied their expertise at relatively short
notice… the special issue came out on time, in November 2000, with readers
unaware of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ panic.

In 2003 Chris Handley joined the Production Team. Though living in
Fareham, Chris has taken advantage of modern technology to take over the
majority of copy-typing from Julie, returning the completed articles by
e-mail. And that, in turn, means the editor has more time to edit and
plan ahead…

Problems with the geology special issue demonstrated the value of forward
planning. The Production Team meets three to four times a year to consider
ideas for articles and subjects for special issues, and to share information
about articles we know are being written by other people, ensuring the
continued diversity that the readers of Five Arches have come to expect.


Into the Future: Five Arches Issue 50 and beyond
Work on Issue 50 began two years ago, when the decision was taken to
incorporate the 2004 special issue into the fiftieth edition. This enabled us
to double the standard twenty pages to forty to mark the journal’s milestone.
The first article was set in place nearly twelve months ago and over the last
three months members of the Production Team have been hard at work on
the accompanying exhibition.

So, what of the future? After twelve years of providing the desk-top-
publishing facilities, Issue 50 was the last edition to be produced at the home
of Stephen Marks. Facilities to compile Five Arches have now been made
available at the Museum and, thanks to the support of our printers, Fosseway
Press, the editor has been able to get to grips with more up-to-date
technology.

Such technology has brought changes to printing processes, which in turn is
prompting changes to production processes. Issue 50 was the last edition
provided to the printer as a camera-ready paper copy, and a significant 
development in quality came with the 2005 special issue, produced with a
colour cover.

And don’t forget, that’s the easy part. Team members are constantly at work
researching and compiling articles for future issues. Ideas for other articles
are constantly evolving: chance visitors to the Museum, a letter in the paper,
a conversation over a cup of tea – anything can provide the inspiration for
an article but that’s just the beginning.

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