Everything you need to know about new roadworks

Post published:October 20, 2025
Post category:BBC Somerset
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Four months of roadworks are starting as part of a £5.9m project to improve drainage and stop the M5 and its verges from flooding.For the majority of the works, three narrow lanes of the motorway will stay open in each direction near junction 26 for Wellington in Somerset.Some overnight closures will be needed to install traffic management and signage, Highways England said, at which time signed diversions will be in place.Jonathan Hill, from National Highways, said: "As with…

Fitness instructor marks 50 years at Bath leisure centre

Post published:October 20, 2025
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BBCMaureen Conroy (in the blue shirt) has run classes at Bath Sports and Leisure Centre since 1975A fitness instructor who has run exercise classes for 50 years said she continues to enjoy teaching, and has no plans to stop.Maureen Conroy, 84, has worked at Bath Sports and Leisure Centre since it opened in 1975, teaching exercise, movement and dance classes."I always say your bones are like a gate, and if it doesn't move it ruts up and if…

Fourth successful breeding season for little terns in Dorset

Post published:October 20, 2025
Post category:BBC Dorset
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Galya DimitrovaSouth of EnglandAngela ThomasThe colony on Chesil Beach is the last of its kind in south west EnglandConservationists are celebrating the fourth successful breeding season for the UK's smallest and most threatened seabird.The Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project said this summer more than 39 chicks had fledged on Chesil Beach in Dorset, up from three in 2021.The colony is the last of its kind in south west England and the RSBP said the birds had suffered a…

Friendship made in ‘lifeline’ Weston chronic pain course

Post published:October 20, 2025
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Ana da SilvaWest of EnglandSubmittedNicola Kilcoyne and Vanessa Davidson met through a pain management programme run by the NHSTwo women who became friends after meeting on a pain management course say the service has made them feel less alone.Nicola Kilcoyne and Vanessa Davidson, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, shared their experiences during a course delivered by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust."Chronic pain is often invisible and isolating, but this support group has truly been a lifeline," said…

New state-funded special educational needs school opens in Devon

Post published:October 20, 2025
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BBCPupils being taught IT (Information Technology) at Castlebridge School, TavistockA new state-funded school catering for children with Autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) has recently opened in Devon to try to improve access in the county to special needs education.Castlebridge in Tavistock currently has 12 pupils, but that will rise to 30.It is the first part of a much bigger school which is due open its main site at Ivybridge in 2027, catering for another 125 pupils.Devon…

Water buffalo ‘to boost biodiversity on Exmoor’

Post published:October 20, 2025
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Briohny WilliamsSouth WestBBCSix female water buffalo have been introduced to Tattiscombe on ExmoorWater buffalo have been introduced to an area of west Exmoor in a project which aims to restore agricultural land to its original state. The National Trust said six female buffalo were on a 120-acre (49-hectare) site at Tattiscombe in north Devon with the intention of turning farmland back into wild wetlands.It said the buffalo were known as "wetland architects" because they used their hooves to…

Japanese bamboo craft experts come to Cornwall to demonstrate art

Post published:October 20, 2025
Post category:BBC Cornwall
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BBCApprentice Yoshika Yakabe is one of a growing number of women learning the traditional Japanese craft of 'takezaiku' Experts in Japanese bamboo crafting have been showing off their skills at gardens in Cornwall.The tradition of 'takezaiku' - which translates as 'bamboo craft' - has been used for centuries to create items ranging from chopsticks to entire bridges.The team from Japan has been exploring the giant bamboo groves at Trebah Gardens near Falmouth and demonstrating how they select and…

Cornwall Council invites the public to watch sessions

Post published:October 20, 2025
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The public has been invited to watch how Cornwall Council makes its decisions.The council will hold special sessions during which people can watch them debate and make decisions live online.Council leader Leigh Frost said the individual decision days were "about putting accountability and openness at the heart of how we work".The public would also be able to send questions to the council in advance of the live-streamed debates, the first of which was scheduled for 29 October, councillors…

Nightclub opens despite industry challenges

Post published:October 20, 2025
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Jamie MorrisSouth of England andTom MurrayBBC Radio SolentHow Southampton nightclub can survive in 2025A new nightclub in Southampton has opened its doors for the first time despite industry-wide challenges.Dan Corry who is the manager of Circuit said he hoped to "create a space" for great music at a reasonable price.But it seems to be bucking a trend, as in the last five years about 400 clubs have closed in Britain – more than a third of the total…

South Western Railway losing £45.5m revenue from fare evasion

Post published:October 20, 2025
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Getty ImagesSouth Western Railway operates services in London, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and WiltshireAn estimated £45.5m of annual revenue is being lost from passengers not paying for tickets, South Western Railway (SWR) has said.The data was released after a campaign group submitted a Freedom of Information request to SWR, which said the overall rate of ticketless travel was about 3.9%.The rail operator runs services in London, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire.An SWR spokesperson…

India lose to England by four runs in ICC Women’s World Cup cricket | Cricket News

Post published:October 20, 2025
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England rallied to secure their semifinal spot at the World Cup while India’s defeat jeopardises their last-four chances.England dug in for a four-run victory over India to clinch a semifinal spot at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on Sunday, leaving the tournament co-hosts in a five-way contest for the remaining place in the final four.Chasing a winning target of 289, India stumbled from a position of strength to fall just short as they were restricted to 284-5…

Rebellion over 50% parking price hike across Devon

Post published:October 20, 2025
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Plans to increase parking charges across Devon by up to 50% are being challenged.The Liberal Democrat cabinet member for Highways at Devon County Council, Dan Thomas, signed off the decision in September to increase on-street charges.But now six Liberal Democrat councillors have banded together to challenge the decision, questioning the need for price hikes "when traders are struggling and businesses are closing".The decision will be reviewed and discussed by the corporate, infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee on…