Thursday 26th June

Thursday, 26 June 2025 01:00

By Steve Haigh

Thousands more music fans will arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury Festival. The government has granted Somerset Council a stay of execution, allowing it to defer a spending deficit on special needs education. A party has been held to mark the 100th birthday of a Somerset woman who has lived in the same house for 100 years...and more.

Roads around the Shepton Mallet area will again be extra busy with traffic today as thousands more music fans arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury Festival. Meanwhile, Great Western Railway is providing an extra 37,000 seats on trains to Castle Cary. It's designed to persuade festival-goers to ditch their cars and travel instead by rail. According to GWR, some of the artists performing at Glastonbury, including Sam Ryder, have travelled to Somerset by train.

Plans have been outlined to reopen The George in Ilminster. The bar is seeking a licence variation to allow it to sell alcohol and put on live music. The application is currently with Somerset Council awaiting a decision. Owners of The George say it's their 'one last chance' to get the historic bar open and be financially viable.

The government has granted Somerset Council a stay of execution, allowing it to defer a spending deficit on special needs education for a further two years. Demand for specialist education has soared in recent years, with the deficit at the council for special education expected to exceed £100m by April next year. Leader of Somerset Council, Bill Revan, says without the override, the authority would have been pushed closer to effective bankruptcy.

A campervan has been destroyed in a fire at Yarcombe near Chard. Concerned residents called the fire service to report flames coming from the vehicle and a hedgerow on fire. Crews from Honiton and Chard used hose reel jets, breathing apparatus, and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish the blaze.

A party has been held to mark the 100th birthday of a Somerset woman who has lived in the same house for 100 years. Phyliss Marshall was born at the property in Bucklands near Bridgwater in 1925 and says, despite many changes in her life, she never thought about leaving the house.

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Tuesday 15th September

Police investigating an attack on a shop worker in Yeovil have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to speak to. Farmers in Somerset are being warned to expect more cases of bluetongue. Ilminster Carnival Committee has announced the cancellation of this year's Children's Carnival due to a lack of entries... and more
Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more