Archive

  • Martin tries a bit of 'blind' golf

    TAUNTON businessman Martin Blackwell has been finding out what it's like to play golf blind - to raise money for charity. Martin and his colleagues Jian Pitman and Richard Coupe were appearing as the Midas Taunton team in a charity golf day at Oake Manor

  • Gazette Community Fund

    ö AS part of our 170th anniversary celebrations, the County Gazette has launched a Community Fund to give a platform to the exceptional voluntary work which goes on throughout our community. We have been asking organisations to write in and tell us

  • Splurge guns wreak havoc at school

    GANGSTERS Bugsy Malone, Fat Sam and Dandy Dan are hitting the stage at Minehead Middle School this week as students stage the famous musical set in 1930's Chicago gripped by Prohibition. The youngsters are bringing to life the antics of Fat Sam, whose

  • Bathwick take county cricket glory

    THE ASDA Year 5 Kwik Cricket County Finals were held at Taunton Vale Cricket Club and produced some thrilling matches in windy and wet conditions. The eight county finalists were split into two groups of four on Wednesday (July 4), with the top two teams

  • Somerset launch Mini Member scheme

    WITH the resumption of the County Championship coming up and the Pro40 Cup yet to get under way, Somerset CCC have just launched their Mini Membership campaign. For the price of just £65 for adults or £15 for under-16s, Somerset supporters can come along

  • Cricket coaching courses on offer

    WITH the school summer holidays just around the corner, a few vacancies remain for most of the cricket coaching courses being run at the Centre of Excellence at the County Ground in Taunton. These include the Development Days on August 13 for six to

  • Huish reach national tennis finals

    THE Richard Huish College Tennis Academy side beat Torquay Boys' Grammar School 10-5 in a dramatic tie-break shoot-out to qualify for the national finals of the LTA Schools' Glanvill Cup at Queenswood in Hertfordshire. Alistair Felton, Danny Manlow,

  • New clinic offers contraception and sexual health advice

    A CLINIC offering contraception and sexual health tips to young people has been set up on the east side of Taunton. The facility has been established in the Crossways Centre. Services offered include contraception and pregnancy testing, as well as general

  • Snooker superstars to clash in Taunton

    SNOOKER superstars Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White are heading to Taunton for a celebrity showdown that marks the start of an exciting national tour, the Somerset County Gazette can reveal. There are bound to be fireworks when The Rocket and The Whirlwind

  • Museum for Minehead call

    WOULD Minehead benefit from providing more for visitors to do in wet weather? That's the question we asked of people in The Avenue, in the town, this week. And most people said yes. The question was prompted by Thursday's front-page story in which we

  • Dancing round the world

    KINGSMEAD Community School, Wiveliscombe, hosted a dance show performed by Nicky Jenks School of Dance last weekend. It was a show played on two days and was performed by a range of ages, from three to 18. It showed ballet, tap and jazz dancing by performers

  • Village event at Bishop's Hull

    THE Bishop's Hull Village Events Group is organising a village summer event on July 15. All residents, families and friends are welcome to the event, which features attractions including a rounders match, a barbecue, beer tent and displays from the Sealed

  • What has gone wrong?

    ACROSS the British Isles people are increasingly asking "What has gone wrong with our country?" Prisons are bursting, people are frightened to walk the streets, and hardly a week goes past without another stabbing. Again, schools are in crisis because

  • Over 200 staff at Musgrove conference

    ALMOST 200 staff from Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital met at Taunton Racecourse to hear of Quality Care developments to celebrate the hospital's achievements. Jim Easton, Chief Executive of York Hospitals, spoke about the need to improve quality and

  • The Rev Jenny's new role at Bishop Henderson

    THE Rev Jenny Jeffery has been commissioned as chaplain at Bishop Henderson Primary School, Taunton. Pupils, staff and governors packed St Michael's Church, Galmington, for the service led by the Bishop of Taunton, the Rt Rec Peter Maurice. The Rev

  • Teenagers help drive youth decisions

    YOUNG people in Somerset are having their say on the running of teenage advice services. Connexions Somerset has set up a Youth Board to make sure organisation "listens to the people who really matter". The group meets regularly with senior Connexions

  • Cause of 39-year-old's death 'unascertained'

    THE cause of death of a 39-year-old man found dead on his sofa has been unascertained, an inquest in Taunton heard. Mark Colin Stimpson was discovered dead in his lounge in Dorchester Road, Taunton, on January 6. West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose said

  • Blagdon open day celebrates arts award

    BLAGDON Hill Primary School is one of only 14 schools in Somerset to have been awarded the prestigious Silver Artsmark award. It is the smallest school in the South-West to receive the award in recognition for the work put into promoting the arts -

  • Summer coaching for youngsters

    PRO-COACHING are running two rugby coaching courses in association with Taunton Rugby Club over the summer holidays. The courses, for children aged between five and 13, will be led by Taunton head coach Danny Thomas. Danny is a former captain of Division

  • Premiership club heading to Taunton

    THE Northampton Saints Premiership Rugby Academy is visiting Somerset for the first time this summer. The Saints will be offering top-class rugby coaching to young players aged between seven and 16 at Taunton RFC's Hyde Park ground between August 21

  • Historic victory for fencer Nat

    TAUNTON teenager Nat Lewis followed in the footsteps of some of fencing's elite to lift the historic Ridley Martin Cup in London. Sabre fencing's oldest trophy dates back to 1911 and has been won in the past by Britain's most successful competitor ever

  • Groups at volunteer workers' forum

    A GROUP of 30 local voluntary organisations and council representatives participated in a successful Volunteer Workers' Forum organised by Taunton Deane Volunteer Centre in Taunton Library. The event, opened by Deputy Taunton Deane Mayor Cllr Tim Slattery

  • Runners have mixed experiences

    MEMBERS of Running Forever Running Club have been busy taking on two very different athletics events in successive weekends. Richard Palmer and Elena Minelli travelled to Devon for the Torbay Half Marathon. The route follows a two-lap all-road course

  • Sidi lands discus gold

    SIDI Duke had never thrown a discus two years ago but has just become the South-West under-15 champion. "I just got hold of one and had a go," said Sidi, a student at Queen's College, Taunton. "I wasn't on a mission to be a discus champion or anything

  • Counselling service expands

    A COUNSELLING service at The Albemarle Centre, in Taunton, is expanding after taking on a fourth counsellor. The confidential, three-year-old scheme for over-18s on low incomes is provided by centre managers Shirley Hector and Jean Head in collaboration

  • Browne tours former squash club development

    TAUNTON MP Jeremy Browne has toured a new housing scheme on the site of a former squash and health and fitness club in Trull. Mr Browne held discussions with managers and was shown round the Gatchell Court site for elder people by new resident Shirley

  • Local democracy

    YOUR columns have reflected the recent referendum, which we have enjoyed if for no other reason than to rattle the cages of the councils. The choice was between the sometimes indefensible districts and the so called COUNTY Council whose executives seem

  • Tangier plans for 150 flats get go ahead

    PLANS for more than 150 flats in the Tangier area of Taunton have been approved. Officers, who originally opposed the proposals, recommended giving the green light after 11th hour talks with the developers. Midas Homes and National Grid Property Holdings

  • Coroner's advice after newly-wed falls down stairs

    A CORONER has advised people to leave a night light on after a newly-wed woman who got up to go to the loo fell down stairs and died. Sara Jane Davies, 39, of Manor Cottages, Wiveliscombe, had enjoyed a night out at the White Hart in the town before

  • Nynehead

    Parish council: At its meeting on July 2 Paul Ketley was co-opted onto the council to bring the number of members back up to five. The seat near the river at Ash Bridge will be back in position within the next two weeks. The council objected to an application

  • Caddy to open West Buckland fete

    WEST Buckland is holding its annual village fete tomorrow (Saturday) in the village hall. The event is being opened by Somerset and former England cricket star Andy Caddick at 1.30pm.