Monday 1st September

Monday, 1 September 2025 06:00

The taps are back on in Yeovil, after large parts of the town were left without water on Friday. South Somerset is now considered the UK’s top alternative to the Cotswolds. Yeovil is gearing up for the return of its Literary Festival this October...and more.

The taps are back on in Yeovil, after large parts of the town were left without water on Friday morning due to a burst water main pipe. Wessex Water said around 15 hundred properties were affected, with bottled water being handed out to more vulnerable households.

Meanwhile, the town is gearing up for the return of the Yeovil Literary Festival this October. The event will take place across numerous locations, including Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil Library, St John’s Church and Waterstones. Star names include local author, Michael Morpurgo, novelist Sebastian Faulks and actor/ writer/ presenter Sir Michael Palin. Other confirmed names include Joanna Page from Gavin & Stacey, Sir David Suchet, Sandi Toksvig and Billy Bragg. The festival will run from Friday, October 17th, to Monday, October 27th.

South Somerset is now considered the UK’s top alternative to the Cotswolds - that’s according to the Telegraph newspaper. Our region has earned 40 out of 50 in its ranking of countryside attractions, from the Somerset Levels to Ham Hill and Hamstone. Parts of South Petherton, Martock, Barrington and Hinton St George were all highlighted as jewels in the crown, along with Burrow Hill Cider Farm and Somerset Cider Brandy Company, amongst others.

Friends and colleagues remembered former RNAS Yeovilton pilot Rhodri Leyshon at the weekend. Rhodri died last September when he crash landed into the sea off the Dorset coast. Two teams played a game of rugby at Cardiff Arms Park, raising money for Wales Air Ambulance. As he was a talented rugby player, those who knew Rhodri felt the event would be a fitting tribute.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more