Thursday 8th January

Thursday, 8 January 2026 06:00

Adam Dance MP is welcoming developments in his campaign to support neurodivergent schoolchildren. Somerset was the star of the small screen last night, thanks to BBC comedy ‘Can You Keep A Secret’. A Yeovil gymnastics club has hosted a VIP guest...and more.

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is welcoming developments in his campaign to support neurodivergent children in schools, after his Screening and Teacher Training Bill was published and scheduled for its Second Reading in the House of Commons next week. Intended to provide universal, ‘light touch’ screening for neurodivergent traits, alongside statutory guidance for teachers, the Bill is receiving support from Dance’s fellow MPs, including Lib Dem Leader, Ed Davey.

Somerset was the star of BBC1 TV last night, with Dawn French’s comedy ‘Can You Keep A Secret’ premiering on the channel, filmed in Axbridge last year. And next week, Netflix will bring shots of the West Somerset Railway to the small screen with the release of Agatha Christie’s ‘Seven Dials’ streaming on the service. Screen Somerset assisted with arranging locations for both shows. Film and TV production brought an estimated £4.2 million to the county’s economy last year.

Yeovil’s Orchard Gymnastics Club have been hosting a VIP guest after being named the IGA National Community Champion Club of the Year. Saskia Servini, a member of the Great Britain team that won gold at the 2023 Tumbling World Championships, visited the club to see more than 50 young tumblers showcasing their gymnastics skills and presented medals to the competitors.

A Chard man received a Christmas surprise, just three days before the big day, when he received a letter and Christmas card from a former friend with whom he’d been out of touch for 75 years. Roger Galpin, who is now 86, hadn’t heard from Mary Trulock since their days at High Street Junior School. He described receiving the card three-quarters of a century after their last contact as the “biggest surprise”.

Meanwhile, hundreds of children in Somerset who might otherwise have gone without received Christmas presents this year, after Tesco’s Christmas Toy Donation campaign collected more than 800 gifts. Generous shoppers across the county, including Yeovil, Shepton Mallet and Ilminster, dropped off presents at local stores across the area.

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Tuesday 16th June

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Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

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Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.