somerset

Rachel CandlinWest of England andSimon ParkinBBC SomersetDavid BathgateTeams of volunteers, totalling 1,300 personnel, are pushing the field gun from John O'Groats to Land's End A one-tonne (907kg) field gun is being pulled across the length of Great Britain to raise money for a military cancer charity. Teams of volunteers totalling 1,300 military and veteran personnel started walking the 1,000 miles (1609km) between John O'Groats to Land's End on September 1 and are now passing through Somerset.The aim of…

Two horses have beaten around 100 runners in a 23 mile (37km) race across Somerset's Quantock Hills.The Man v Horse endurance race, which was first held more than 40 years ago in Powys, Wales, saw the crowd of runners given a head start of only 15 minutes.Only four competitors have ever beaten a horse in the history of the race, with the last Somerset event ending in a tie between a human and a horse at three hours…

More than 230 steel bars have been used to repair and stabilise a collapsed embankment along a busy route.The 130-metre embankment along Upper Stanton in Stanton Drew, Somerset, had partially given way, putting the road at risk.Bath & North East Somerset Council (BANES) said the work, which cost more than £430.000, has now secured the road for the long-term.Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery, thanked residents for their patience and said the council had "significantly…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

PA MediaMargaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister in BritainDocuments that led to Britain getting its first ever female Prime Minister are expected to fetch £100,000 at auction.The nomination paper signed by Margaret Thatcher that led to her becoming leader of the Conservative Party was found in cardboard box in a Somerset garage.It was among historic material belonging to Sir Edward du Cann, who became MP for Taunton in 1956 and went on to be chairman of…

A new primary school and nursery will be built in the grounds of a secondary school, in a growing Somerset town.Somerset Council has confirmed it is going ahead with a £7.75m project to build a 210-place primary school and 40-place nursery at Holyrood Academy in Chard.The council said hundreds of new homes being built in the south Somerset town meant an extra 300 primary places would be needed in the next 10 years, more than the town's current…