New Sunday parking charges in Somerset towns ‘concerning’

Post published:October 18, 2025
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BBCTim Mander says he is disappointed at the new chargesSunday parking charges should be "equitable" despite fears by some politicians that introducing them could harm independent businesses.Somerset Council is consulting on introducing the Sunday charges in towns including Taunton, Bridgwater and Yeovil, bringing them in-line with areas which already charge a fee.However, businesses say the introduction of new parking charges in the towns could impact footfall and staffing.Orchard shopping centre manager Rob Moore believes the new charges will…

Pumpkin patches proving popular due to social media say venues

Post published:October 18, 2025
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Clara BullockWest of EnglandAvon Valley Country ParkVenues say people go to pumpkin patches to get their pictures takenVenues in the West have said pick-your-own pumpkin patches are becoming more popular due to social media.Avon Valley Country Park in Keynsham near Bristol said their Halloween pumpkin event was seeing around 120,000 visitors each year, with many going to take photographs.Fairfield Pumpkins near Yeovil, Somerset started pick-your-own pumpkin patches five years ago and said the number of visitors had risen…

US Grand Prix: Max Verstappen beats Lando Norris to pole for sprint race in Austin

Post published:October 17, 2025
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Piastri had looked to be struggling compared with Norris since the start of practice and was a good chunk off the Briton in all three qualifying sessions.Norris said: "Disappointed not to be on pole but not a surprise for us to be just a bit slower than the Red Bull lately."A little couple of bits here and there I could have improved on and caught a few bumps a little bit wrong, that's the difficulty of this track.…

US Grand Prix: Lando Norris sets pace in only practice session in Austin

Post published:October 17, 2025
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McLaren's Lando Norris set the pace in practice at the United States Grand Prix, split from team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri by Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg.Norris, trailing the Australian by 22 points with six races to go, headed Piastri by 0.279 seconds at the start of a sprint weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Williams' Alex Albon.This was the only session before sprint qualifying…

‘Glastonbury Festival is what’s keeping me going’

Post published:October 17, 2025
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PA MediaMichael Eavis founded Glastonbury festival in 1970As he turns 90, the founder of Glastonbury Festival says he is feeling "very well" and has credited the event for "keeping him going".Michael Eavis put on the first Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival in 1970 with his late wife Jean. He was a struggling dairy farmer and said at the time he hoped it would "clear his overdraft".The event is now the largest greenfield festival in the world and…

CrossCountry rail workers strike suspended by RMT union

Post published:October 17, 2025
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Rail passengers are being warned there will still be "significant disruption" despite planned industrial action being suspended. CrossCountry says its services will be impacted with a reduced timetable as it is too late to reinstate a normal timetable on services this weekend.Although members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) have called off a walk-out planned for Saturday 18 October, only a significantly-reduced number of services will be able to run to the South West,…

‘Blue plaque for children’s author’ and ‘haircuts for the homeless’

Post published:October 17, 2025
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Here is our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.A blue plaque will be unveiled in Stroud later to honour the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, reports the Stroud News & Journal.The ceremony marks 80 years since the publication of Reverend Wilbert Awdry's first book, The Three Railway Engines.Burnham.on.Sea.com says a field gun being pulled 1,000 miles (1,609km) will be in the West later. Hundreds…

Ilminster Herne View primary school to move in £2m upgrade

Post published:October 17, 2025
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A town's primary school, which is currently split over two sites, is going to be consolidated into one location as part of a £2m scheme.Somerset Council has confirmed it is going ahead with a project for Herne View Primary School in Ilminster to expand its Ditton Street site, and leave its Silver Street location.The single-site primary school on Ditton Street will have 14 classrooms for 420 students.As part of the £2m upgrade, the council also plans to refurbish…

Bath professor explains why evolution creates imposter crabs

Post published:October 17, 2025
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Bea SwallowWest of EnglandGetty ImagesMemes about 'rejecting humanity and becoming a crab' emerged from the fact that evolution keeps turning animals into crab-like creaturesViral social media memes being shared by millions of users gleefully declare that humanity's final evolutionary destination is not robots nor extinction - but crabs. With experts at a crab museum in Margate saying that people come in "every day" questioning if humans really will end up sprouting claws, we take a look at the…

SEND students share nerve-wracking journey planning life after college

Post published:October 17, 2025
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Steve KnibbsGloucestershireBBCRhi (left) Billy (middle left) Kate (middle right) and Chris (right) are planning their futures after they graduate from a specialist further education collegeFinal-year students at a specialist further education college say they are facing a nerving-wracking journey into the unknown. Their futures hang in the balance, reliant on local government funding or fighting against stigma to gain employment. For the next 12 months the BBC will follow a group of final-year students at National Star College…

US Grand Prix: Lando Norris says he will face ‘consequences’ for collision with Oscar Piastri in Singapore

Post published:October 16, 2025
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who is 63 points behind Piastri in the championship but has won two of the past three races and finished second in the other, was asked in a news conference on Thursday in Austin whether he believed McLaren were favouring Norris.He replied: "Absolutely."He laughed, and then said: "Yep."Leaving the news conference, he said off-microphone: "Well, there's a headline."BBC Sport sought clarification from Verstappen as to whether he had been joking, and he said through…

The Stop Line Way cycle path ‘needs more volunteers’

Post published:October 16, 2025
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Peter WattsThe five-mile route links two towns running alongside the A358Volunteers are being urged to help preserve a "much-loved" traffic-free route between two towns after funding was withdrawn. Somerset's The Stop Line Way was opened between Ilminster and Chard in 2008 by the national charity Walk Wheel Cycle Trust - formerly Sustrans - which has since withdrawn from the partnership due to financial constraints but continues to maintain the route.Matt Day, chair of the Community Network Active Travel…