A WELLINGTON businessman is backing the County Gazette's efforts to aid child abuse victims. Reg Hendy, who runs Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm at Langford Budville, is supporting our campaign, which launches this week. The project has been unveiled
PARTYING pensioners from Wellington will be celebrating Christmas in style this year. Retired workers from Relyon, the town's biggest employer, are being treated to a free festive bash at Wellington Football Club. The party is being funded completely
MAURICE Jennings, whose life was devoted to his family and to the town of Wellington, died on Sunday, November 9. He had been fighting a recurrence of cancer since the summer and died surrounded by his family at St Margaret's Hospice, Taunton. He was
WELLINGTON police have arrested and cautioned two youths in connection with a recent assault at the Beam Bridge Hotel, Sampford Arundel. A gang of young gatecrashers invaded a private function at the premises on Saturday October 11. When it became clear
Plymouth Argyle travel to Queens Park Rangers this Saturday knowing that a win at Loftus Road would do some serious good to their promotion prospects. Argyle, currently top of the Second Division, but only on goal difference from QPR, will be without
TAUNTON Blades fencers Dominic Kerr and James Walker both reached the final of their respective age groups in the English Youth Championships in Telford. James put up a great fight against the experienced Tom Brenda of Stratford in the Under-18 Men's
THE new season at Taunton Racecourse is set to get underway after an unprecedented third cancelled meeting. The latest race day, scheduled for Thursday, November 13 was called off last Friday after a Jockey Club inspector ruled the back straight too hard
THE new season at Taunton racecourse is still to get underway after an unprecedented third cancelled meeting. The latest race day, scheduled for Thursday, Nov 13, was called off last Friday after a Jockey Club inspector ruled the back straight too hard
Plymouth Argyle travel to Queens Park Rangers this Saturday knowing that a win at Loftus Road would do some serious good to their promotion prospects. Argyle, currently top of the Second Division, but only on goal difference from QPR, will be without
Saracens' Adryan Winnan will retun to his roots on Sunday when the Zurich Premiershop side travel to Cornwall to take on Penzance & Newlyn in the Powergen Cup. 20-year-old Newlyn born Winnan will be supported by friends and family in the sixth round
Cornwall cricket followers are in for a treat next year with the Jolly's Drinks ECB Cornwall Premier League season being extended. The Premier League season will start on Sunday April 18, with the last weekend's fixtures on Sunday September 12. This will
A MINEHEAD trader has been fined £300 and ordered to pay £3,070 costs for selling dangerous chairs which could trap children's fingers and cause serious injury. Ritestar PLC, trading as The Warehouse Shop in The Avenue, were found guilty at Taunton and
POLICE and community leaders were united this week in warning Watchet that it had to claim back areas in the heart of the town hijacked by hooligans and vandals. A special meeting overwhelmingly backed calls for a CCTV system covering the town's trouble
The findings of a seven week long public inquiry into the Devon Structure Plan are published today. The inquiry, held in the summer, gave members of the public the chance to discuss the draft Devon Structure Plan 2001 - 2016. The 230 page 'Examination
STAFF at the Marie Curie Devon fundraising office in Tiverton have been preparing for the 'Fields of Hope' firework display - but they have also been sifting through letters with donations for our Star appeal. Since September when the appeal was launched
THE mother of an Exeter schoolgirl has been fined £200 with £110 costs after her daughter repeatedly truanted from her city high school. The girl is now in Year 11 at the school and should be taking her GCSE exams next summer. Honiton magistrates had
The findings of a seven week long public inquiry into the Devon Structure Plan are published today. The inquiry, held in the summer, gave members of the public the chance to discuss the draft Devon Structure Plan 2001 - 2016. The 230 page 'Examination
The Gulls face Cheltenham this Saturday afternoon, a team that they haven't beaten since the Cherries joined the Football League three seasons ago. Head coach Leroy Rosenior is determined to change the recent fortune of his side, who have lost their last
WELLINGTON welcome back centre Brian Smith and full back Matthew Parsons for their home clash against Tavistock in the Powergen Junior Vase on Saturday (Nov 15). Gerald Jenkinson takes over first team coaching duties in the absence of Derek Rowlands,
SUPPORTERS of the Somerset County Gazette's 'Stop It Before It Starts' campaign are celebrating the project's success. The £120,000 scheme is being run in conjunction with the County Gazette and charity Life Education Centres to educate primary school
THERE will be sackfuls of festive cheer in Taunton this Christmas, thanks a local newspaper. The Somerset County Gazette has managed to persuade Santa Claus to leave his home in Lapland for an extended stay in the county town. The exclusive partnership
A blind woman was knocked over on a pedestrian crossing by a bus in Bristol which then drove off and left the scene, a spokesman for the First bus group has said. However, it is believed the woman was not seriously injured. A spokeswoman for the Avon
HANNAH Earl, seven, of North Curry, has had one of her paintings hanging on the walls of top London galleries. Hannah, who attends her local primary school, entered a national RSPB Wild Art Competition and won the under-eight age category. Her prize was
RAIL passengers were left stranded for over two hours in the middle of the night at an isolated Somerset station this week. Red-faced rail bosses later admitted that a replacement bus service supposed to bring them back to Taunton had left them in the
A JUDGE has sparked fury by allowing a man who caused horrific injuries to a Taunton woman to walk free from court. Recorder John Lodge said that the injuries Debra Pemberton suffered at the hands of her husband were "nothing short of shocking." But he
THERE will be sackfuls of festive cheer in Taunton this Christmas ... thanks to your County Gazette. We have managed to persuade Santa Claus to leave his home in Lapland for an extended stay in the county town. And the exclusive partnership will give
ONE child a week dies as a result of an adult's cruelty, and a quarter of all recorded rape victims are children. In Taunton alone, hundreds of callers have rung the child protection phone helpline in the past year in a bid to seek help and escape abuse
THERE will be sackfuls of festive cheer in Taunton this Christmas ... thanks to your County Gazette. We have managed to persuade Santa Claus to leave his home in Lapland for an extended stay in the county town. And the exclusive partnership will give
The findings of a seven week long public inquiry into the Devon Structure Plan are published today. The inquiry, held in the summer, gave members of the public the chance to discuss the draft Devon Structure Plan 2001 - 2016. The 230 page 'Examination
The findings of a seven week long public inquiry into the Devon Structure Plan are published today. The inquiry, held in the summer, gave members of the public the chance to discuss the draft Devon Structure Plan 2001 - 2016. The 230 page 'Examination
I AM writing to say thank you for the sensitive treatment given to the story of my husband's recovery. Having agreed to the feature I did become apprehensive as one is aware of how some people in the media can distort or exploit stories for their own
The findings of a seven week long public inquiry into the Devon Structure Plan are published today. The inquiry, held in the summer, gave members of the public the chance to discuss the draft Devon Structure Plan 2001 - 2016. The 230 page 'Examination
DESPITE their disappointing results on the field this summer, Somerset County Cricket Club have announced a surplus of £247,846 for the year. Chief Executive Peter Anderson said: "Turnover was up by £399,820 to £3,532,919 and this large surplus was achieved
THE man accused of the fatal shooting at a Wellington pub has appeared at Exeter Crown Court. Following the brief appearance, David Robson was remanded in custody by Judge Graham Cottle, until his plea and directions hearing, set for January 30, 2004.
POPULAR lollipop man John Lawley was given a round of applause by staff and pupils when he retired from Wiveliscombe Primary School on Friday. Mr Lawley, aged 60, has been at the school for eight years and was much-loved by parents, pupils, and staff.
KIND-hearted County Gazette readers have rallied round to bring some cheer to a Taunton family hit by a devastating fire. Offers of help have been flooding into our offices after we broke the story last week of how single mum Emma Ward and her three young
HEWETT Homers have opened their account in the first division of the Ark Removals Taunton Table Tennis League with a 9-3 win over Rollercoaster B. Wendy Price hit a possible, Shingo Yamada and Jean Watson won two apiece and both were beaten by Craig Robertson
THIS is a busy time for Somerset's Taunton-born all-rounder Keith Parsons. Not only has he resumed training in preparation for next season, but he is also helping his organising committee to make the final arrangements for his benefit year in 2004. The
MINEHEAD Town's squad has been boosted by the return of three players for their big match at home to Clyst Rovers in Division One of the Screwfix league on Saturday (Nov 15). Defenders Ross Baker and Robbie Matchem and midfielder James Browning are all
AT least 200 people packed into Watchet's Methodist Church on Monday to demonstrate their support for saving the town's Red Cross centre. The charity is sending in valuers next week to gauge the Esplanade building's worth -- either for sale or for a tenancy
COUCH potatoes are definitely not part of the timetable at Knights Templar School in Watchet. The school and its fighting fit pupils have just secured a coveted Active Mark, awarded by Sport England in recognition of the commitment to providing physical
PHARMACIST Max Punni mounted the second wave of a campaign to save small independent pharmacies from going out of business when he handed a 641-signature petition to West Somerset's MP Ian Liddell-Grainger last weekend. Mr Punni, who took over the John
WEST Somerset District Council has balanced its books by creative financial juggling. Finance portfolio holder and deputy leader Colin Hill said the council needed £541,000 to make its sums add up in its corporate plan up to 2006. He said the solution
THE future is looking bright for the former Langflex Ltd packaging company following a buy-out, managing director Ray Mitchell said this week. The County Gazette reported last week how the Williton-based firm had been bought by Riverside Packaging Printers
THE state of train services calling at Tiverton Parkway railway station has come under fire from furious rail users. They have banded together to form Tiverton Rail Users Group (TRUG) and are calling for answers from train operators over why services
THIS year's 'Operation Christmas Child' appeal to fill shoeboxes for needy children across the world has once again been receiving a fantastic response from people in Mid Devon. St Paul's Day Nursery in Tiverton has been at the forefront of the appeal
IN a stunning debut at the world's greatest racing circuit, Taunton's Adam Sharpe finished eighth in class after a spectacular finish to the Le Mans six-hour 1000km race last Sunday. An afternoon that had included both wet and dry racing saw Adam step
THIS is a busy time for Somerset's Taunton-born all-rounder Keith Parsons. Not only has he resumed training in preparation for next season, but he is also helping his organising committee to make the final arrangements for his benefit year in 2004. The
DESPITE their disappointing results on the field this summer, Somerset County Cricket Club have announced a surplus of £247,846 for the year. Chief Executive Peter Anderson said: "Turnover was up by £399,820 to £3,532,919 and this large surplus was achieved
INTREPID yachtsman Pete Goss announced last night that his planned trek to the South Pole in the footsteps of Captain Scott was being delayed for a year because of worries over funding. Goss, who lives at St John, near Torpoint, had hoped to set off on
Exeter City will be hoping to bounce back after their Tuesday night defeat at Aldershot with a win against Morecambe. The 2-1 defeat at Aldershot brought to an end the Grecians' five-game winning streak, which had seen them drag themselves from fair-to-middling
A Bristol schoolteacher has denied making indecent images of children on his classroom computer. Nigel Chambers, 35, of Rodborough, Yate, Bristol, is charged with 16 counts of making indecent images of children between January 1998 and January this year
SUPPORTERS of the Somerset County Gazette's 'Stop It Before It Starts' campaign are celebrating the project's success. The £120,000 scheme is being run in conjunction with the County Gazette and charity Life Education Centres to educate primary school
SMOKE alarms have helped save lives in two house fires in Taunton during the last week - and the fire brigade is keen to remind people how important they are. As reported in last week's County Gazette, the Ward family were able to escape from a fire in
THE hard work and achievements of Bishop Fox's School students were celebrated at a special prize giving this week. More than 100 former Year 11 students returned to the Taunton school on Tuesday night for a certificate presentation evening. Proud mums
MONKTON Heathfield residents are demanding answers over controversial proposals to build up to 1,000 new homes in the village. Angry villagers turned out in force this week to quiz planners, county councillors and the parish council about the scheme.
COUNCIL house tenants in Taunton Deane are being offered a £20,000 sweetener to move out and buy their own homes. Taunton Deane Council has earmarked £100,000 of taxpayers' money to free up five local authority homes -- and there could be more cash in
THERE will be sackfuls of festive cheer in Taunton this Christmas ... thanks to your County Gazette. We have managed to persuade Santa Claus to leave his home in Lapland for an extended stay in the county town. And the exclusive partnership will give
A 39-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion of the abduction of teenage student Alicia Eborne as the search for her continues in Devon a week after she went missing. Alicia, 18, was last seen leaving her home in the Dartmoor-fringe hamlet of Corntown
TAUNTON Tae Kwon Do Club member Carol Holmes beat 293 competitors from across Britain to be awarded the best adult black tag at a national grading in Bristol. She was also among six members of the Wellington and Taunton clubs to achieve their black belts
TAUNTON have a week off before they get back to competitive rugby as they reflect on last weekend's big defeat at Weston Hornets. Taunton were originally due to face Dorchester in a friendly, as they are out of the Intermediate Cup, but the Dorset side
