The ancient Halloween tradition celebrated in small village

Post published:October 30, 2025
Post category:BBC Somerset
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Clara Bullock and Luke Knight,SomersetBBCDawn Quince is on the Punkie committee and says the community love the "quirky" traditionVillagers say they "love" taking part in an unusual Halloween tradition that dates back hundreds of years.The festival in Hinton St George in Somerset sees children carry "punkies" - lanterns traditionally made from a large turnip known as a mangelwurzel - and parade through the village singing punkie songs.Held on the last Thursday in October, the event which first began…

Woman charged after former Bournemouth player Jordan Chiedozie loses leg in M27 crash

Post published:October 30, 2025
Post category:BBC Dorset
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A woman has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drink driving following a crash in which a footballer lost a leg after being hit on a motorway hard shoulder.Jordan Chiedozie was seriously injured while changing a tyre on the M27 near Ower, Hampshire, on 1 February.The former Bournemouth striker was returning home from Devon after playing for the Hampshire, Southern League club Bashley when the incident happened.Anna Malgorzata Bogusiewicz, 45, of Wraysbury, Berkshire, is…

Avoid single-use plastics for Halloween, Cornwall charity urges

Post published:October 30, 2025
Post category:BBC Cornwall
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ReutersClean Cornwall says Halloween is "plagued by single use products" that cause a rise in litter each yearA campaign aimed at preventing people from buying single-use Halloween products has been launched in Cornwall.Clean Cornwall's Boo to Plastic campaign said the event was "plagued by single use products" that harmed wildlife and caused a "big rise in litter" each year.The environmental charity said surveys conducted in 2019 found 83% of Halloween costumes sold online were made of oil-based plastics,…

Arrest after knifepoint street robbery in Plymouth

Post published:October 30, 2025
Post category:Devon News
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A man has been arrested after a knifepoint robbery in Plymouth, police have said.It happened on Kit Hill Crescent in the Barne Barton area at about 03:45 GMT on Wednesday, Devon and Cornwall Police said.The force said a man is believed to have approached another man in a car and "made threats to harm" him before stealing the vehicle's keys.A man in his 40s from Plymouth has been arrested on suspicion of robbery, attempted robbery and threatening a…

England’s horror film settings that ‘make the flesh creep’

Post published:October 30, 2025
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AJ Pics/AlamyThe ordinarily "clean and tidy" Cotterstock Hall was transformed to provide a spooky setting for The Woman in BlackIf you are lining up a few classic horror films this Halloween, you might recognise some familiar locations.Forget the actors, directors and the crew - Historic England has been taking a look at some of the 400,000 listed sites in the country that have made it on to the big screen. "Familiar places can be turned into something uncanny,…

£2m plan to convert Ilfracombe delivery office to homes

Post published:October 30, 2025
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$£2m plan to convert Ilfracombe delivery office to homes$

Alison StephensonLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceGoogle Street ViewNorth Devon Council wants to convert the former Royal Mail delivery office in Ilfracombe to homesA council has planned to invest £2m into a former Royal Mail building to provide homes, retail and exhibition space.North Devon Council said it was in the process of purchasing the property in Ilfracombe High Street using part of its allocation of nearly £3m from the Devon and Torbay devolution deal. The council applied for consent from…

More than 600 people supported by wellbeing hub in first year

Post published:October 30, 2025
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Katie Waple and Harry Kille-Smith,South of EnglandBBCThe Access Wellbeing hub in Boscombe marked its first anniversaryA wellbeing hub has celebrated helping more than 600 people during its first year of being open.Access Wellbeing, in Boscombe, Dorset, provides free mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over, with no appointment needed. The charity said it offers medical help, assistance with practical things like paperwork, or just a listening ear and a cup of tea.Joshua Hevicon, service…

Devon couple in 18-year dispute with freeholder over damp

Post published:October 30, 2025
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BBCThe homeowners say they have been living with damp for 18 yearsA couple have said they are "living in squalor" due to an 18-year-long dispute with their freeholder.Amanda Hoyles, 58, and her partner Chris Davis, 51, allege poor upkeep and substandard insulation at their leasehold ground floor flat had caused damp and mould and they made their first complaint in 2007 "within months" of moving in.North Devon Homes said there was "significant investment" ready for the work, but…

Dog owners urged to update microchips after 500 strays found

Post published:October 30, 2025
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Dog owners in Cornwall have been urged to keep pets' microchip and ID tag details up to date after almost 500 dogs were reported as strays in 2024-25.Cornwall Council said its stray dog service worked to trace owners and care for dogs until they could be returned or rehomed and, while most were reunited with owners, some were taken into council care.Six dogs - three labradors and three springer spaniels - were found on Bodmin Moor in 2024…

Somerset boy, 9, launches 100-day litter-pick challenge

Post published:October 30, 2025
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A nine-year-old boy is completing a 100-day litter-picking challenge and has already collected more than 130kg (287lb) of rubbish.Theo from Wiveliscombe in Somerset is 53 days into his challenge and said he has found everything from footballs to unopened jam jars.The young environmentalist said he is "obsessed with animals" and hopes his work will protect wildlife. During his feat, he is raising money for Surfers Against Sewage - a charity backed by his hero naturalist and explorer Steve…

ShelterBox team from Cornwall to help Hurricane Melissa victims

Post published:October 30, 2025
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A Cornwall-based charity is sending emergency response teams to the Caribbean to help those affected by Hurricane Melissa. ShelterBox said having a team in Jamaica would make it easier to understand the scale of the damage and co-ordinate with its humanitarian partners.The charity said it had launched a fundraising appeal to support those affected. It said it had emergency shelters, including tents and tarpaulins, blankets, water carriers, mosquito nets and solar lights stored in Barbados and Panama which…

Outdoor workshop in Cornwall aims to lift children’s wellbeing

Post published:October 30, 2025
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BBCChildren aged between five and 12 took part in the eventYoung people have been enjoying nature at an outdoor workshop designed to teach them skills that boost mental and physical wellbeing. Children aged between five and 12 took part in the event in the National Trust grounds at Lanhydrock near Bodmin, on Wednesday.Run by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, a series of stations were set up to encourage children to learn ways to manage their feelings through mindful…