I had several interesting local history books as Christmas presents including Nocola Sly's "A Grim Almanac of Somerset" which is a series of small pieces about events in the county ranging from murders, accidents, tragedies, the bizarre and accidents of various types. These tales are arranged in diary fashion meaning there are 366 of them. For instance the one for today relates to a gunshot that woke the residents of South Hill Farm, Withycombe in 1858. Three people died that night but not from gunshot injuries. The farm gun had exploded in a fire. The father, younger son and a servant died. The elder son, his badly burned wife and a labourer escaped albeit with difficulty. Tomorrow's is about another fire, this time of the one that destroyed the pavilion on Weston super Mare pier in 1930. Yesterday's told the story of a man who collapsed in the road in the hamlet of Woolston Moor in 1876 but was considered to be the worse for drink by three people who tried to help him and he was left in the road. The coroner condemned them for their "brutal and inhuman conduct". One bizarre tale I've yet to find is that of a soldier who, in 1879, stabbed himself with his own bayonet whilst turning a somersault! The Grim Almanac is published by The History Press whose website can be found at www.thehistorypress.co.uk -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk http://www.savethegurkhas.co.uk/