The Somerset Clarion was a Socialist magazine started in 1985 by Dave Chapple in Clevedon as a hand written fanzine style A5 booklet but developed into a Sheep Worrying style A4 magazine by Brian Smedley who became editor in 1986.
The Clarion was the organ of the Somerset Community Defence Campaign which had been founded during the Miners strike of 1984-85 to unite socialists of all hues around the county who had united through the ‘Miners Support Groups’ particularly strong in Bridgwater.
The Clarion featured regular articles from Glen Burrows, Dave Hanna, Allan Challenger, Mac McCausland and other socialists from across the county.
The Somerset Community Defence Campaign was at the forefront of pretty much every left leaning campaign during the 1980s and 90s and all are logged and preserved for posterity in the Clarion back issues.
The Clarion continued until 1996 when it became the ‘Somerset Socialist’from 1997 yet continuing with the numbering from the Clarion reaching issue 41.