Thursday 8th January

Thursday, 8 January 2026 06:00

Adam Dance MP is welcoming developments in his campaign to support neurodivergent schoolchildren. Somerset was the star of the small screen last night, thanks to BBC comedy ‘Can You Keep A Secret’. A Yeovil gymnastics club has hosted a VIP guest...and more.

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is welcoming developments in his campaign to support neurodivergent children in schools, after his Screening and Teacher Training Bill was published and scheduled for its Second Reading in the House of Commons next week. Intended to provide universal, ‘light touch’ screening for neurodivergent traits, alongside statutory guidance for teachers, the Bill is receiving support from Dance’s fellow MPs, including Lib Dem Leader, Ed Davey.

Somerset was the star of BBC1 TV last night, with Dawn French’s comedy ‘Can You Keep A Secret’ premiering on the channel, filmed in Axbridge last year. And next week, Netflix will bring shots of the West Somerset Railway to the small screen with the release of Agatha Christie’s ‘Seven Dials’ streaming on the service. Screen Somerset assisted with arranging locations for both shows. Film and TV production brought an estimated £4.2 million to the county’s economy last year.

Yeovil’s Orchard Gymnastics Club have been hosting a VIP guest after being named the IGA National Community Champion Club of the Year. Saskia Servini, a member of the Great Britain team that won gold at the 2023 Tumbling World Championships, visited the club to see more than 50 young tumblers showcasing their gymnastics skills and presented medals to the competitors.

A Chard man received a Christmas surprise, just three days before the big day, when he received a letter and Christmas card from a former friend with whom he’d been out of touch for 75 years. Roger Galpin, who is now 86, hadn’t heard from Mary Trulock since their days at High Street Junior School. He described receiving the card three-quarters of a century after their last contact as the “biggest surprise”.

Meanwhile, hundreds of children in Somerset who might otherwise have gone without received Christmas presents this year, after Tesco’s Christmas Toy Donation campaign collected more than 800 gifts. Generous shoppers across the county, including Yeovil, Shepton Mallet and Ilminster, dropped off presents at local stores across the area.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more