Extra precautions to fight off Covid have been put in place at 43 schools in the County. A Somerset woman is calling for greater awareness of a condition in children who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. A tapestry dating from the 15th century has been returned for public display at Montacute House. The title of "world's best cider" for 2021 has been won by a brand outside Somerset...and more.
Extra precautions to fight off Covid have been put in place at 43 schools in the County, including in Yeovil and across South Somerset. Somerset County Council is asking families with children from nursery to college age to take a Covid test twice each week.
A Somerset woman is calling for greater awareness of a condition in children who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. New research shows there could be up to half a million young people in the UK affected by Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It can lead to lifelong physical, mental and behavioral problems, but often goes undiagnosed. Amanda Boorman adopted two young boys with the condition and says she has struggled to get their condition treated.
A tapestry dating from the 15th century has been returned for public display at Montacute House, near Yeovil, following four years of the restoration project. It shows a medieval knight in armour parading across a background of a thousand flowers. The National Trust spent 1,300 hours cleaning and strengthening the tapestry.
The title of "world's best cider" for 2021 has been won by a brand outside Somerset. Despite the county's famous orchards, local producers were pipped to the post in the World Cider Awards by ‘Farmhouse Still’ a cider made by St Ives Cider of Cornwall.
South Western Ambulance Service is struggling to cope after a surge in 999 calls during the hot weather. Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke says a shortage of rental homes is making it harder for rural employers to attract workers. The National Trust is warning that changing weather patterns are making it difficult to maintain the Cerne Abbas Giant... and more
People are being asked to take extra care in parks and open spaces as high temperatures and dry conditions increase the risk of fire. Plans to build hundreds of new homes in Yeovil can now go ahead after a High Court challenge by Mudford Parish Council was dismissed. A Somerset bakery chain has sparked a reaction after it stopped making iced buns... and more
The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health alert for Somerset to amber. Trading Standards officers have shut down three shops in Taunton after illegal cigarettes and vapes were discovered on the premises. Bridgwater Town Council is considering running its own bus services...and more
A Martock agricultural machinery business has gone into administration, putting around thirty jobs at risk. A new sensory room has opened at a Yeovil schook to support neurodiverse pupils. The headteacher of a Chard primary school is stepping down... and more
The National Farmers Union in Somerset has welcomed the government’s new trade deal with six Gulf countries. Campaigners say Somerset’s canals and locks are in urgent need new investment. The Liverpool comedian John Bishop is heading to Somerset later this year...and more
Police are being asked to cut the time the M5 is closed following accidents. Plans to build a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out. Aldi is asking shoppers to help find locations for new stores in Somerset...and more
People in Somerset are being encouraged to get their cholesterol checked to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with using threatening behaviour. A gardener from Somerset has won a silver award at the Chelsea Flower Show... and more
A Somerset car boot business says it will no longer accept twenty-pound notes after being handed counterfeit notes.Taunton Flower Show is warning this year’s event could be its last. Numatic, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, have invested one-and-a-half million pounds installing new solar panels at their factory in Chard... and more