county news

Kate Bush ‘heartbroken’ over friend missing at sea

Kate Bush ‘heartbroken’ over friend missing at sea

AFPKate Bush said Matthew Upham was kind, thoughtful and a great deal of funSinger-songwriter Kate Bush said she was "heartbroken" after her friend went missing during a Christmas Day swim in Devon.Ms Bush said Matthew Upham, a local antiques dealer, was one of her "very dearest friends" who she had known for 30 years. The 67-year-old Running Up That Hill singer said Mr Upham's family and friends were "heartbroken" by the news.Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton…

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Brownsea Island nature reserve’s seagrass to be mapped

Brownsea Island nature reserve’s seagrass to be mapped

National TrustInitial surveys were carried out by Dr Ken Collins, accompanied by Brownsea ranger Sophie GilesThe waters around an island nature reserve are to be surveyed for the first time to map seagrass habitats.Initial surveys at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, revealed an abundance of seagrass, which is a haven for wildlife including some species of seahorse.Oceanography experts from the University of Southampton are expected to carry out a detailed underwater survey in the first half of…

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Twenty five years of BBC South online services

Twenty five years of BBC South online services

Stephen StaffordSouth of EnglandBBCThe first BBC regional website in the south of England launched in December 2000It was December 2000 - the world had survived the Millennium Bug and the Information Superhighway was heading at dial-up speed into the future.The BBC had launched its online service on bbc.co.uk three years earlier and the south of England was now among the first regions to launch a local presence on the world wide web.BBC Southampton Online began as a city-focussed…

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Somerset charity has helped women in Africa for 25 years

Somerset charity has helped women in Africa for 25 years

Chris LockyerandClara Bullock,SomersetHarriet Gordon-BrownChase Africa is educating women in Africa about healthcareA charity from Somerset that promotes healthcare for women in Africa is celebrating 25 years of work. Chase Africa is based on a farm near Frome, but works in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda by bringing birth control and healthcare to women in rural communities.Robin Witt founded Chase Africa after visiting his wife's family in Kenya and noticing that the local forest was disappearing.Mr Witt said: "Environmental health…

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What can I do with my Christmas tree after the festive period?

What can I do with my Christmas tree after the festive period?

Carys NallyWest of England Getty ImagesRecycling centres and tree collection services are available across the regionAs the festive period comes towards a close you may be thinking about what to do with your Christmas tree. There are plenty of options across the West - whether you want to recycle or even give it to charity.For regular waste collections, residents have been urged to check their postcode-based collection calendar and to use recycling and food waste collections as much…

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The story of the buried whale’s head

The story of the buried whale’s head

BBCExcavating the whale's head took some heavy equipmentEarlier this year, I found myself standing in a field, watching, as a digger lifted the remains of an enormous fin whale's head from a resting place few people knew about. It was the culmination of an investigation into something I initially thought may be a myth but turned out to be true - a whale's head being buried somewhere in my hometown.On Valentine's Day 2020 the crew of a former…

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Record-breaking silk dress on display in Devon

Record-breaking silk dress on display in Devon

BBCArtist Kirstie MacCleod estimates there are between 1-1.5 million stitches on the dress, which took 10,000 hours of workA red silk dress embroidered by 380 people in 51 countries over the course of 14 years has gone on display at Killerton House near Exeter.The Red Dress Project, which saw 87 panels created and stitched together between 2009 and 2023, was begun by Somerset-based artist Kirstie MacCleod. She said: "What I really love is that probably the women and…

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Works to improve waterside areas in Truro set to start

Works to improve waterside areas in Truro set to start

Work to transform a city's waterside area is set to begin in January.Cornwall Council said the planned three months of works at Lemon Quay, in Truro, would result in a new event space, lighting and landscaped areas.In addition, a new pontoon for day boats would be added to Town Quay after it had been dredged, the council said.To pay for the work Truro Town Investment Plan secured £23.6m of Town Deal funding in 2021, the Truro Town Deal…

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Truro City FC and Truro and Penwith College form academy

Truro City FC and Truro and Penwith College form academy

A further education college has teamed up with a football club to help young sports people to play at the highest level possible.Truro City Football Club is set to develop a player pathway academy for 16 to 18-year-old students at Truro and Penwith College.A college spokesperson said the partnership would enable football students to access a professional football environment while continuing their studies.This would include opportunities to play in a stadium setting and taking part in the FA…

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Cornish Pirates ‘not downhearted’ after 41-14 Ealing loss says Gavin Cattle

Cornish Pirates ‘not downhearted’ after 41-14 Ealing loss says Gavin Cattle

Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle says he is not downhearted by his side's 41-14 home loss to Champ leaders Ealing. The Pirates were 14-0 at half time after tries from Geordie Gwynn and Michael Dykes before conceding three more tries in the opening 15 minutes of the second half to trail 29-0.But replacement Matt Pritchard's try stemmed the tide for the hosts before a quick pair of Kyle Hatherell tries for Ealing stretched their lead. Alessandro Heaney's…

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Police investigate unexplained Christmas Day death near Chudleigh

Police investigate unexplained Christmas Day death near Chudleigh

An investigation has been launched after the death of a man at a rural property on Christmas Day.Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called to the property north of Chudleigh, in Devon, at about 10:50 GMT over concerns for a man.The force said a fire was thought to have occurred but was out when officers arrived, and a man aged in his 80s was found in the property and pronounced dead at the scene.Police said the death…

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Breeding barn owls ‘beat odds’ to raise chick at Hengistbury Head

Breeding barn owls ‘beat odds’ to raise chick at Hengistbury Head

Barn owls have overcome a challenging summer to breed at a nest box installed at a nature reserve in Dorset.Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) said the birds were first spotted at the box at Hengistbury Head in March.The council said, despite a challenging year due to dry weather conditions, the pair "beat the odds to successfully raise a single chick".Environment councillor Andy Hadley said it was "a real sign that our efforts to restore habitats and support…

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