Today has been Frome’s day, well the Town Hall. Newly refurbished today was the grand opening. I managed to be working for most of the afternoon, but got in for a few minutes whilst the radio station was live on air with guests. Then home, a quick rig shift and back out again for the official opening reception.

The ribbon had been cut earlier in the day and this evening there was a ‘soiree’ to celebrate the return of the Town Hall to the community of Somerset’s fourth largest town. The evenings festivities where opened by the ribbon cutters, Mr and Mrs Wheeler who were married in the Town Hall when it was the town hall over 50 years ago. A nice touch. Then the Mayor, Toby Eliot, resplendent in his chain of office and Van Dyke beard welcomed us and gave a few words on the buildings residents, other than the Town Council, including Frome FM, kind welcoming words – thank you. It marks the end of a two year project taking the building back from the County Council, who used it as the local Social Services Office. The team have lead and completed a good project and we were all suitably impressed. The building will be available for all residents of Frome and they hope to start having marriages in the Council Chamber again. It will be a good venue.

I said that I had been working earlier and it was fun – a nice wedding at one of our more up market venues. The fun was, our colleague Karen had some Kazakh smoked string cheese, brought by her son (please skip this bit Defra and Borders Agency) and she had brought it in for the Saturday duty teams to try. Interesting, salty, smokey, cheese, which is exactly what it is – curds drawn out into strings, soaked in brine and smoked. They like it with beer in Russia in the same way as they like pork scratchings with beer up north. I think pork scratchings need not to worry just yet. But as it was from Kazakhstan it gives me the opportunity to introduce their girl band, Kesh You. Two videos below for you to watch.

Back in Frome, I sat for the speeches with the Town Crier, Mike Bishop and his wife Angie. He has a story to tell so will find his way into the studio in the future.

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez

 

 

As always my thanks to Youtube and the artists.