Forward to the History of Blackford book

The world seems almost literally to have passed by this beautiful part of South Somerset. The busy dual carriageway road carries heavy trucks, holiday traffic and weekenders, by-passing the villages at high speed. Never stopping to see; always heading for somewhere else. As I ministered in the nine villages of the Camelot Parishes as Parish Priest, it always seemed to me that I had a choice of three routes: the busy dual carriageway, the “old road” and the narrow, winding country lane. It almost became a metaphor for the mood I was in. It pays to leave the speeding traffic for, less than a minute away, through a tunnel of trees appears Blackford. Today it is a village of around 60 people with the church almost at its centre. Beautifully cared for, it stands for the community whether they are regular worshippers or not. Harvest supper is almost a family meal. Christmas carols are a village celebration. I remember funerals where it was necessary to appoint watchmen to guard against burglars because every home was empty for all were in church to give thanks and say goodbye and all the floral decorations were taken from cottage gardens. I like to think of a church being made of “living stones” and as we have said goodbye to old friends so there have been presented a new pair of gates, a carefully-crafted cupboard, a hand-made wooden box for the communion bread and hand-made kneelers showing the farming seasons. Each gift telling a tale. Blackford residents take a pride in their village - not the sort of pride that manicures the verges and tut-tuts at mud on the road. It is almost as if people feel grateful that Blackford has allowed them to stay for a while and in return they want to leave it in good heart for another generation to enjoy. John Thorogood Rural Dean Evercreech, November 2000