county news

Weird and wonderful traditions coming up in the west in 2026

Weird and wonderful traditions coming up in the west in 2026

Beth CruseWest of EnglandReutersCheese-rolling attracts thousands of participants and spectators to Gloucestershire each yearFrom tumbling down hills after cheese to racing homemade contraptions, the West Country's calendar is packed with events as eccentric as they are beloved.Crowds come from far and wide to be a part of the weird and wonderful traditions that make our region unique."These special events draw in hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area, boosting our local visitor economy which is worth more…

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Poole choir supporting cancer patients seeks new members

Poole choir supporting cancer patients seeks new members

A Poole-based community choir that supports local families struggling financially because of cancer is looking for new members.The DCCF Choir was founded in 2024 to support the work of the Dorset Cancer Care Foundation (DCCF). The choir performs at local events and raises money to give cancer patients grants for costs including household bills and transport to and from hospital.All money raised by the choir, which has 24 members aged 25 to 80, goes towards the work of…

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Cornwall Council insists proposed tax rises are ‘unavoidable’

Cornwall Council insists proposed tax rises are ‘unavoidable’

Seb NobleCornwall political reporter, TruroBBCLeigh Frost said the council had no choice but to increase council tax bills by 4.99% next year Cornwall Council has insisted proposals to increase people's council tax bills by 4.99% is unavoidable. It is one of the measures the council is planning to help raise extra revenue and plug a £50m gap in its budget for the coming financial year.The authority said it would look to make efficiency savings while investing in and…

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Princetown ‘will become ghost town’ without prison

Princetown ‘will become ghost town’ without prison

Scott Bingham,South WestandDan Wareing,South WestBBCJane Liversidge said people would abandon Princetown if the prison closed permanentlyThere are fears a village in Devon could become a "ghost town" if its prison does not reopen.HMP Dartmoor, at Princetown, was closed in July 2024 after the government found levels of the radioactive gas radon were up to 10 times higher than the safe limit.The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) told the BBC the closure was temporary and the prison had been made…

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Can community groups help cut small boat crossings?

Can community groups help cut small boat crossings?

Katharine Da CostaSouth of EnglandSteve VinnicombeSteve and Helena Vinnicombe (right) have been hosting a Ukrainian family since the Russian invasion in 2022 The Ukrainian resettlement scheme saw thousands of people given new homes in the UK and has been praised as a success by both hosts and families fleeing the war-torn county.Now the government wants to launch a similar community sponsorship programme, so other refugees have a safe and legal means to enter the country.It is part of…

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New Year’s Day tractor convoy raises money for charity

New Year’s Day tractor convoy raises money for charity

Tess de la Mare,West of EnglandandLuke Knight,SomersetSomerset Tractor RunnersThe New Year's Day tractor run through Somerset is now in its sixth year More than 120 tractors turned out for a New Year's Day drive to raise money for an air ambulance trust and a mental health charity supporting farmers.Organised by the Somerset Tractor Runners, the vehicles paraded through Kingsbury Episcopi, East Lambrook, Merriott, Long Sutton and Drayton.Now in its sixth year, organisers said they were hoping to raise…

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Boy, 14, arrested after cars damaged in Sherborne

Boy, 14, arrested after cars damaged in Sherborne

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of damaging cars in Sherborne.Dorset Police received a report late on New Year's Eve that a teenager was acting aggressively and breaking into parked cars in Littlefield.It was further reported damage had been caused to some of the vehicles.The boy, from Sherborne, is in police custody. Det Insp Rhys Griffiths, of Dorset Police, said: "We know this incident may have caused some concern with residents in the area and there…

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Devon gymnast becomes men’s 17-21 tumbling World Champion

Devon gymnast becomes men’s 17-21 tumbling World Champion

BBCAlfie Collier said his win was a "dream come true" A 20-year-old from Devon has brought home a gold medal in the men's 17-21 tumbling at the World Championships.Alfie Collier from Kingsteignton has been training at Newton Abbot Gymnastics Centre since the age of six. He said having the title world champion was still very surreal: "I was shocked to be honest and I think I'm still in shock now. "It's a dream I've had since I was…

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Man injured after gang of teenagers attack him on bus

Man injured after gang of teenagers attack him on bus

A man has been injured in a gang attack on a bus, police have said.Officers have shared CCTV footage after a group of six teenagers assaulted a man who had confronted them for opening an emergency exit on the vehicle.The victim was left with injuries to his head, face and arms after the incident on Cork Street in Frome, Somerset, at about 17:00 GMT on 12 December.An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said: "They [the gang] are all…

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My Heart Was A Tree – Exeter Observer

My Heart Was A Tree – Exeter Observer
My Heart Was A Tree – Exeter Observer

Good journalism costs money  Upgrade to paid E O Exeter Observer Local news that matters ON OUR RADAR An evening of poetry and music with Michael Murpurgo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Farms for City Children. Leigh Curtis Exeter Cathedral is hosting My Heart Was a Tree on Tuesday 27 January, an evening of

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My Heart Was a Tree

My Heart Was a Tree

Keep our reporting free for everyone to read  Upgrade to paid   EO Exeter Observer Local news that matters   ON OUR RADAR An evening of poetry and music with Michael Murpurgo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Farms for City Children. Leigh Curtis   Exeter Cathedral is hosting My Heart Was a Tree on Tuesday 27 January, an evening of poetry and music celebrating the natural world to mark the 50th anniversary of Farms for City Children.…

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Cargo ship refloated after running aground in Devon harbour

Cargo ship refloated after running aground in Devon harbour

A cargo ship has been refloated after it ran aground off the south Devon coast.The coastguard said the bulk carrier the Scot Pioneer had got into difficulty in Teignmouth harbour at about 17:25 GMT on New Year's Eve.It said the the vessel was successfully refloated at high tide at about 02:00 GMT.The ship, registered to Inverness in Scotland, had eight crew on board and no injuries or damage to the vessel had been reported. Source link

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