Somerset Council is warning of a cash shortage to run Adult and Children’s services. An inquest has recorded a verdict of misadventure on two people killed in a plane crash in South Somerset. A woman from near Yeovil has received a PhD in the Ukelele...and more.
Somerset Council is warning of a cash shortage to run Adult and Children’s services. The Council says it's likely they'll have to take money from reserves to keep the services going. In the current financial year, the Council has used eighteen million of reserves to fund Adult and Children’s services. Council says since the Covid-19 pandemic demand for Adult and Children’s services has risen to unprecedented levels.
An inquest has recorded a verdict of misadventure on a pilot and his passenger killed in a plane crash near Buckland St Mary in August 2021. The inquest was told the pilot, Joe Mann, lost control of the aircraft and crashed during bad weather. Both he and his passenger, Margaret Costa, died from multiple injuries. An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report said Mr Mann had not been trained or was qualified to fly in bad weather.
In a world first, a woman from near Yeovil has received a PhD in the Ukelele. Dr Samantha Muir, a classical guitarist from East Chinnock studied the qualification at the University of Surrey after falling in love with the Ukelele.
If you’ve ever fancied getting into wine-making, here’s your chance. The Curload Vineyard near Stoke St Gregory that produces Seyval Blanc and Solaris grapes is being sold at auction with a guide price of one-hundred-and-thirty thousand pounds. The auction takes place at The Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster on Wednesday, September 27th.
There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.