For several years members of East Coker Wine Circle have put the village on the map with their many successes at wine festivals at all levels up to and including the National! But it was for a different reason that the East Coker team were given a tumultuous reception at the Wales & West Las Vegas theme evening in May.  All dressed as show girls, men too in their basques and feathers, failed to sneak into the hall unnoticed. As soon as they were spotted they were cheered and applauded to their table and literally dozens of photographers from circles from Wales and the West Country as well as others from as far afield as Bolton, Luton, Peterborough and Nottingham clamoured to capture a few pictures.

   

  The team did not let down the Circle in the wine festival either, winning five trophies and a mass of placings. Joyce Pryor won individual trophies for red table sweet and after dinner white/golden and her entry in the Circle section gained first for table red sweet; Vince Wolny gained trophies for his fresh white dry grape and for most points in classes 29-34 (members only). David Pryor also gained seven placings from 11 entries, including a third place in a 70 bottle red table dry class. Terry and Mo Western, new members to the circle, were also placed  and Ian Westaway and Chris Branson gained collars (wines worthy of final selection).

     The festival at Sand Bay, Weston-super-Mare, was a fantastically entertaining weekend with professional entertainment and bands every night and wine and beer tastings during the day.