Archive

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B3191 Cleeve Hill Watchet to reopen to walkers for the Easter holidays

SOMERSET Council is giving pedestrians temporary access to the Cleeve Hill B3191 cliff top road for the Easter holidays. The route will be open to walkers from Good Friday (March 29). Over the coming weeks, work will be done to provide a safe

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Help shape Wellington's 'better future' at free-to-attend public meeting

A PUBLIC meeting is set to be held in Wellington in April so that residents can have their say on the town's future. The meeting, which is being organised by the local branch of the Liberal Democrats, will take place at Castle Scout Hall, off Fore

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Somerset's new music and entertainment venue set to open tonight with Queen tribute

A BRAND new music and entertainment venue in Somerset is set to open tonight with a Queen tribute band to christen the premises. Studio24, in Wells, replaces the  former Kudos nightclub building on Priory Road, which closed after 18 years in business

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Mum hopes inquest into death of daughter in Taunton will end long wait for answers

AN inquest into the death of a teenager who died two days after being found unresponsive in Taunton five years ago will begin on Tuesday, April 2. Cariss Stone, from Street, was 19-years-old when she spent five months on the psychiatric intensive

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Results: Supreme Champion of British Cheese Awards 2024 is revealed

THE supreme champion of the 2024 British Cheese Awards has been revealed.  A small mould-ripened fresh cheese, called Snowdrop, took home the title at the awards on Friday, March 22.  The 28th British Cheese Awards were held at the Bath & West

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Readers' questions answered by Somerset County Gazette editor

We recently gave our valued subscribers the chance to submit their questions to me - editor of the Somerset County Gazette, Tim Lethaby. The County Gazette is evolving - being the editor used to just mean deciding what we would tell readers in

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Driving instructor 'threatened to kill' Taunton driving examiner

A DRIVING instructor "threatened to kill" a driving examiner, a court has heard. Adrian Whiting, 52, was yesterday (Wednesday, March 27) found guilty of sending "an offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing message or matter" to Rachel Lincoln. Taunton

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'I was in and out in a day': Somerset hospital offers less invasive hernia surgery

SHEPTON Mallet's Practice Plus Group Hospital is now able to perform a less-invasive technique of emergency hernia surgery. For the first time, patients at the Somerset hospital can benefit from laparoscopic surgery, which involves a surgeon making

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Public toilets saved by town council despite Somerset Council's lack of cooperation

PUBLIC toilets in a town in Somerset which were set to close due to a 'late change of circumstances' from Somerset Council have been saved. Shepton Mallet Town Council has revealed that its bid of up to £10,000 to Somerset Council to fund the local

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Residents hit by recent floods must wait until Christmas for crucial reports

SOMERSET communities hit by flooding over the last 12 months will have to wait until at least Christmas for crucial reports, which will recommend steps to prevent a repeat of these events. Several parts of Somerset suffered from severe localised

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RECAP: Weather causing 'hazardous conditions' across Somerset

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Interactive map of council tax increases as expert warns of hidden pitfalls

AS households across the country receive their new, higher council tax bills, experts have warned of the potential repercussions of falling behind on payments. Nearly all local authorities overseeing social care in England are preparing to raise

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Busiest roads and times this Easter as RAC warns of traffic chaos

DRIVERS have been warned of traffic chaos on the roads this Easter, with long delays expected as more than 14 million cars hit the roads. The RAC said journeys on some roads could take twice as long as normal, while rail travel will also be disrupted

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Easter warning over DWP Universal Credit and PIP payments

UNIVERSAL Credit, PIP, and other benefit claimants may find their payments affected by the Easter bank holidays this weekend. Both Good Friday, March 29, and Easter Monday, April 1, are bank holidays where payments from the Department for Work

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Pictures: Blanket of snow covers parts of Somerset for second time this year

SOME of the luckiest (or unluckiest if you need to get to work) of Somerset residents woke up to a blanket of snow this morning (Thursday, March 28). Exmoor was most affected, with deep snow covering the Porlock Hill, Simonsbath and Exford areas

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'Historic' Somerset house to be transformed into 'Chickpea country boozer'

THE Chickpea Group has announced that it will be opening its first pub in Somerset. Located in Ditcheat near Bruton, The Manor House Inn is set to open its doors in June under new ownership. This will be the group's seventh pub, with other

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Inside the £10.9million digital innovation centre opening in Taunton in May

THE new purpose-built Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation (FCDI) is set to officially open its doors in Taunton in May. Owned and operated by Somerset Council, FCDI has already held a number of events where delegates were able to get a preview

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On-duty A&S detectives sent 'discriminatory messages on the grounds of race'

TWO on-duty Avon and Somerset Police detectives sent WhatsApp messages to each other making "discriminatory comments...on the grounds of race" about two colleagues, a misconduct hearing will hear. DC Simon Jones and DC Robert Corry, who no longer

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Supporters turn out in numbers for Egg-Travaganza event at Taunton Town FC

AT the weekend, Taunton Town FC hosted their Egg-Travaganza event at Wordsworth Drive and it was a resounding success. On the pitch the Peacocks were beaten by Chelmsford, but off the pitch a crowd of over 1,300 turned out to enjoy the festivities

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Clinton Rogers’ column on potholes

I WANTED to call this week’s column: The Road To Ruin. Or: How on earth have we let things get this bad? I’m talking about a subject guaranteed to enrage us all – potholes. Can I say from the outset I really don’t care exactly whose fault it

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Displaced women come together through cricket in Somerset

On Thursday March 21, fifteen displaced women living in the local community came together as part of the OMAID project at Somerset County Cricket Ground. The OMAID project is an exciting new collaboration between Somerset Cricket Foundation and

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Inspirational litter picker Reuben's mission to make he world a better place

A SEVEN-year-old boy from a school in Taunton has captured the hearts of his community through his efforts to ‘make the world a better place’. Reuben Norman, a pupil at Minerva Primary School, has a passion for tidiness and environmental responsibility

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Police sponsor Somerset award which was won by a 'exceptional young man' last year

THIS year's Pride of Somerset Youth Awards are being supported by Avon and Somerset Police, who work to keep our communities safe day in, day out. The awards were created to recognise and honour young people who strive to make a difference and

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Taunton author's debut novel inspired by shocking family discoveries

A Taunton author has written a fascinating new novel based on shocking discoveries in a search for her family history. Diane Phillips discovered unexpected details about her own family while working at the Woking Borough Council. Expertly making

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British Gas award Navigate Somerset £400k grant to fight fuel poverty

Navigate Somerset has received a grant of £400,000 to help support people in fuel poverty over the next two years. It comes from the British Gas Energy Trust. The grant will be used to provide free, confidential advice and support with debt

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Take a look inside the new shop aiming to serve cyclists from Taunton and Wellington

A NEW cycle shop has opened on the outskirts of Wellington, with hopes to be a hub for cyclists from Taunton, and the rest of Somerset. Apple County Cycles first opened its doors for business on Saturday, March 23. The new shop sits on the

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Housebuilder hunting for longest resident with cash prize on offer

A Somerset housebuilder has launched a quest to find its longest standing owner to mark its 50th anniversary this year. Redrow, which has been responsible for building over 150 developments in the South West since 1988, is eager to hear the unique

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Thatchers Cider donation helps Axbridge Carnival Club reach goal

Thatchers Cider donated £500 to help Axbridge Carnival Club get closer to reaching its fundraising goal of £5,000. The generous contribution brings the club a step closer to staging September's procession. Anne Thatcher, of Thatchers Foundation

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This year's Cheddar Arts Walking Trail set for early May bank holiday

The Cheddar Arts Walking Trail is set for early May bank holiday. It will take place from Saturday, May 4 to Monday, May 6. This free tour of Cheddar offers the opportunity to explore work of 28 local artists displayed across exhibits.

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Demand surges for support from Wells Welcome Hub

Wells Welcome Hub is seeing a stark increase in demand for its services from Ukrainians, their sponsors and other displaced people. Operating every Monday between 10am-1pm, the hub serves as the first port of call for those needing assistance with

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New owners to lead Quantock Funeral Directors into the future

Quantock Funeral Services have been a pillar of our community for a number of years and are now entering a new chapter under new leadership and the updated name of Quantock Funeral Directors. Dawn Jones and Rob Parker, the new owners, have a combined

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Changes to Easter recycling and rubbish collection in Somerset

As the Easter holidays approaches, a number of changes to recycling and rubbish collections will take place across Somerset. The shift in schedules over the Easter weekend sees collections due on Good Friday, March 29, moved to Saturday, March

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Emergency services band together during aircraft collision exercise in Somerset

A MULTI-AGENCY exercise designed to simulate a major incident was held in Exmoor National Park over the weekend. Police officers, special constables and staff were joined by emergency services, voluntary rescue organisations and others on Saturday