Tuesday 24th October

Tuesday, 24 October 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council says it's not going to let go of ten million pounds of government funding to upgrade Yeovil's Octagon Theatre despite the costs of the project having risen above thirty million pounds. A woman from Templecombe, whose husband was killed while on holiday in Greece has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help pay for a new round of legal costs. A set of autographs on a blank cheque by the original members of the Rolling Stones in 1963 have been put up for sale at auction in Chard...and more.

The Deputy Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Liz Leyshon, says they are not going to let go of the opportunity to spend ten million pounds of government funding up-grading Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. Her comments follow the decision by Somerset Council to pause the planned thirty-million-pound redevelopment of the Octagon due to increased building costs and higher interest rates.

A woman from Templecombe, whose husband was killed while on holiday in Greece has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help pay for a new round of legal costs. Charlotte Jeffery is planning to return to court in Zante, where her husband Matthew was attacked by two men in 2019 and later died after one of the men found guilty of causing Mr Jeffery’s death was granted an Appeal. Mrs Jeffery, who is planning to attend the hearing, faces a legal bill of £20,000 for hiring a solicitor to represent her at the re-trial.

Avon and Somerset Police are reminding drivers that speed kills as part of a campaign to get more motorists to respect speed limits on Somerset's roads. Police say they’ve caught some drivers at night travelling over one hundred miles per hour on local roads.

This year's been a bumper harvest for grapes according to vineyards owners in Somerset. The combination of dry and wet weather throughout late spring and summer has helped provide many growers with their best year ever in terms of fruit yield.

A set of autographs by the original members of the Rolling Stones have been put up for sale at auction in Chard. The signatures from 1963 written on the back of a blank cheque include those of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and the late Brian Jones. The auction takes place at Stuart Bull Auctions at 10, Fore Street, in Chard, on Thursday, November 16th.

More from News

Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more