Latest news with #Somerset
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- General
- Yahoo
Somerset Women comfortably beaten by Essex in Vitality Blast
Vitality Blast: Essex Women 149-7 defeated Somerset 84-9 by 65 runs Esmae MacGregor claimed career-best T0 figures as Essex's bowlers ripped through the Somerset batting line-up to secure their side's first win of the Women's Vitality Blast at Chelmsford, writes Ben Kosky, ECB Reporters' Network. Advertisement The Essex medium-pacer finished with four for eight from 3.2 overs, while leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood took two for 16 as the visitors were rolled for just 84, with Fran Wilson their only batter to reach double figures. Somerset had looked strongly-placed at halfway after seamer Ellie Anderson's three for 19 restricted their opponents to 149 for seven, opener Lauren Winfield-Hill top-scoring with 42 from 25 balls. Anderson struck with her first delivery after Somerset had won the toss and inserted their hosts, uprooting Grace Scrivens' middle stump to set the tone with two tight powerplay overs. Read more: The seamer should have snapped up another early wicket, spilling a return drive from Lissy Macleod, while Winfield-Hill swept Chloe Skelton for successive boundaries as the pair added a brisk 45 from 33. Advertisement But Olivia Barnes' acrobatic catch at square leg, leaping to grab the ball one-handed at the second attempt, removed Macleod and Alex Griffiths castled Winfield-Hill in the next over to leave Essex under pressure. Amanda-Jade Wellington's miserly spell of two for 21 maintained control, but Sophia Smale – dropped early on by Mollie Robbins – provided some impetus with 22 from 18 before she was eventually bowled trying to ramp the medium-pacer. Jo Gardner (20 from 22) and Eva Gray both cleared the ropes during the death overs to haul their side to fractionally short of 150 – a total that looked far more challenging for Somerset after they lost four wickets in the powerplay. Dropped at slip first ball, Bex Odgers was then caught behind slashing at Kate Coppack and Emma Corney swung at Scrivens and missed before Amelie Munday skied MacGregor into the hands of mid-on. Advertisement Skipper Sophie Luff also fell cheaply, cleaned up by Gray's inswinger, but the experienced Wilson started strongly with successive fours off Coppack and was looking nicely set with 25 from 19 when she perished top-edging a sweep off Maqsood. The leg-spinner also accounted for Griffiths before diving forward at mid-on to pouch Anderson's drive off MacGregor and Somerset's last faint hope of a fightback evaporated when Wellington holed out to long leg. With Barnes unable to bat after sustaining an injury in the field, the contest ended in the 15th over as MacGregor has Skelton caught at mid-off to secure the ninth Somerset wicket – and her fourth.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Essex and Lancs claim first T20 wins of campaign
Essex and Lancashire both claimed their first victories of the season in the Women's T20 Lauren Winfield-Hill top scored with 42 from 25 balls as Essex set Somerset a target of 150 to win at Ellie Anderson picked up figures of 3-19 off four overs which included the wicket of Essex captain Grace Scrivens with the seamer's first ball of the Barnes took a stunning catch at square leg to remove Lissy Macleod, one of two catches by Barnes, who was forced off with a hand injury after the second and was unable to take any further part in the stalled in their reply, and when Eva Gray's in-swinger took skipper Sophie Luff's off stump to leave them on 29-4, the visitors chances looked to be in tatters.A fifth-wicket partnership worth 25 runs between Fran Wilson and Alex Griffiths gave Somerset a brief glimmer of hope, but when Wilson fell to leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood, the writing was on the wall for the MacGregor finished with career-best T20 figures of 4-8 as Somerset were quickly bowled out for 84, still 66 runs short of their target, with last batter Barnes unfit to take to the Thunder bounced back from their seven-wicket defeat by The Blaze on Saturday with a gutsy 18-run victory at visitors put on 140-7 in their 20 overs with captain Ellie Threlkeld top scoring with 48 and Aisla Lister adding an important knock of 42 not run chase started well with Suzie Bates and Katherine Fraser putting on 61 for the first wicket as the hosts went in search of a first win of the Thunder recovered in the second half of the innings, taking nine wickets for only 61 runs. Four wickets from Grace Potts (4-33) and two each for Sophie Morris (2-22), Sophie Ecclestone (2-24) and Grace Johnson (2-25) helped turn the match around for the Red Rose.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former nurse, 100, 'inundated' with birthday cards
A former midwife has received hundreds of cards from around the world in celebration of her 100th birthday. Bertha Preston spent time working in New Zealand, Australia and Kenya, before settling down in a nursing career at Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath, Somerset. With no surviving family or close friends nearby, staff at the Bloomfield Care Centre in Paulton issued a "heartfelt request" to the public to send in their warm wishes. Key worker Jane Rogers described Ms Preston as a "very strong lady", who "chose her career over marriage" and showed an unwavering dedication to her profession. Ms Preston said "her spirit remains strong and her presence continues to inspire those around her". "She's been a huge part of my life," said Ms Rogers, who has cared for Ms Preston since 2009. "All of the residents here are very special to everyone who works here, but she's a darling lady. "Because of her vulnerability and the fact she has no known family, we've all become her family, and that's how we like it." Ms Preston's "quiet strength and compassion" was born out of becoming an orphan at the age of eight, after losing her mother to tuberculosis. Her nursing journey took her around the world, most notably to Africa, where she treated patients for trachoma and helped deliver hundreds of babies. One woman wrote to Ms Preston from Kenya to ask if she had worked at the hospital during her birth in the early 1960s. "I was delighted to read of your enthusiasm for the country, and of your hard work and devotion over many years as a nurse," Sarah wrote. "You are clearly a credit to your profession." Activities assistant Christina Coles said the home had been "inundated" with letters since posting the appeal online, including a card from King Charles III and Queen Camilla. "The amount that's come through the post has been amazing," she said. "We've had such a good response, it's really been overwhelming. "It's lovely that people have made so much effort in the community to come forward for a lady who has worked so hard. "100 years is an amazing achievement for anyone. Bertha has got an incredible story and it's nice to share that with people," she added. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. D-Day veteran's 'unforgettable' 100th birthday World War Two decoder celebrates 100th birthday Vera celebrates 100th birthday with 450 cards Bloomfield Care Centre
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
West of England headlines: New Banksy art and football club sale
Here's our weekly round up of stories from across local websites in the West of have a daily round up as well. Make sure you look out for it on the website and the local section of the BBC News app. What have been the big stories in the West this week? The news that a majority stake in Yeovil Town FC has been sold to Dubai-based entrepreneur Prabhu Srinivasan, with a major investment in the club promised, was reported by ITV West Country. Somerset Live reported on Wednesday that four police officers had been attacked after disorder in Midsomer Norton - reportedly during a gathering of 200 school-leavers. Avon and Somerset Police said its officers were "pushed, punched, and spat at" by "a small number of people" there.A nurse in Wiltshire has been struck off the register after filming people through a cubicle wall in Asda, Bristol Live reported. He was convicted of voyeurism and making an indecent image of a child and given a suspended sentence last story of an 80-year-old man who still works in the family newsagents he was born above in 1945 was widely shared from Somerset Live. Colin Morris, the grandson of the founder of GW Hurley Newsagents on Burnham-on-Sea High Street, told the paper he still regularly works 13-hour shifts. Bristol 24/7 reports that Banksy had shared a new work in an unknown location - though internet sleuths have raised the possibility it could be in the French city of Marseille. The work shows a lighthouse on the side of a building, with the words "I want to be what you saw in me" over the top. Top five local stories for the BBC in the West Something longer to read The Bristol Cable published its latest investigation on Thursday. It found homes owned by a landlord banned by Bristol City Council from letting properties are being rented by the council as emergency accommodation for homeless people. Explore more with our daily roundups
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Inspired to walk the ‘Salt Path'? These are the best bits of the 660-mile coastal route
Raynor Winn's debut novel, The Salt Path, first captured the hearts of readers when it was published back in 2018 and quickly became a Sunday Times bestseller. The memoir, which has been turned into a film now in cinemas, tells the story of everyone's worst nightmare. Not only did she and her husband, Moth, lose their home and B&B business at their Welsh farm after an investment went wrong, but they truly hit rock bottom when Moth was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease, corticobasal degeneration. Without any other options, they came up with the idea of embarking on an adventure, by walking the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path and seeing where it took them, figuratively and physically. With almost 300 miles of it in Cornwall, it begins in Minehead in Somerset, traverses along the north Devonshire and Cornish rugged coasts, and heads back along the south coast of the counties into Dorset, finishing at South Haven Point in Poole. It's a mammoth walk that initially seems almost totally unachievable for them, considering Moth's ill health, along with having such little money that they have to live off packet noodles, and wild camp. In the film, locations aren't given, and instead, geography is only marked by the number of miles walked, focusing on the idea of the gravity of the challenge, and how location doesn't matter to them. Instead, it's all about keeping moving. As one of the UK' s best coastal hiking routes, the South West Coast Path can be taken at a much slower pace, and walkers usually complete it in sections over many years. So if you're inspired to pull on your walking boots, here are some of the best sections along the famous route to stomp along, as well as places to rest your weary head, that don't include the need for a tent. 1. Clovelly to Hartland, North Devon Some of the most memorable – and instantly recognisable – scenery in the film comes from the little 14th-century village of Clovelly perched 400ft up on the north Devon coast. Clovelly isn't actually on the coast path itself, it's just off it, as one of the UK's only privately owned villages. It's been privately owned by the Hamlyn family and their descendants since Elizabethan times, which means you have to pay to enter (£9.90 for adults). The current owner is John Rous, and it's this entrance fee that's allowed it to become a maintained relic of a time gone by that's still inhabited and thriving and, most importantly for Cornwall, hasn't been taken over by holiday lets as second homes aren't allowed. The walk down to the harbour isn't the easiest, as not only is it very steep, but it's entirely cobbled too. Too steep even for cars, years ago villagers came up with the idea of using sledges to transport goods up and down the slope. Years ago, donkeys were used, but now you'll find them in the stables at the top of the village. Back on the path, this section that's part of the Hartland Heritage coast is truly spectacular with soaring ascents, making it renowned as one of the hardest parts, but the views make it well worth it. Stay at: The Collective, Woolsery In the little village of Woolfardisworthy, locally known as Woolsery, is the Collective, a complex made up of a pub, fish and chip shop, local shop, farm and accommodation. The area has been given a new lease of life thanks to Michael and Xochi Birch. Millennial readers will remember their social media platform Bebo, which they sold. They then swapped Silicon Valley for north Devon, as Michael's family had lived here for 600 years. The Farmers Arms pub has excellent food, including hogget from their own farm too. There are rooms, suites and cottages over the road. Doubles from £275 night; 2. Boscastle to Tintagel, north Cornwall Perhaps the most ethereal villages on the entire coast path are Boscastle and Tintagel, which are only about 3.5 miles apart and will likely take about five hours to walk between. The fishing village of Boscastle sits in a deep rugged valley that's incredibly dramatic and has an air of mysticism to it. Its windswept landscapes inspired poet and author Thomas Hardy, while it's also home to the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, with thousands of witchy books, spells and paraphernalia. Walking out from Boscastle's pretty harbour, pick up the coast path along the clifftops where the white watchtower is perched. Just under a mile from Tintagel, if it's a sunny day, drop down to Bossiney beach, a fabulous little sandy cove, for a swim. The section is another fairly challenging part of the path, but you'll see Tintagel Castle in the distance before descending into the village. It's regarded as the birthplace of King Arthur and is steeped in myth and legend. From the heart of the village, it's another steep walk down to the ruins of the castle (there are Land Rovers for those who prefer a quick ride) which is owned by English Heritage and costs £16.80 for adults. The reward is worth it, thanks to the views walking over the footbridge, suspended 58 metres above the sea, over to the medieval ruin. Look out below at the craggy inlets, and Merlin's Cave, a blowhole that makes a loud whooshing sound as the waves wash in as the tide comes in. On the other side, don't miss Gallos (which translates to 'power' in Cornish) the life-size bronze statue that's been inspired by King Arthur. Stay at: Kudhva Just two miles from Tintagel is Kudhva (Cornish for 'hideout'), a glamping site with futuristic-looking angular treehouse pods that sit among the treetops, with ladders up to the entrances. The whole site, which is set in a disused quarry, is about connecting with nature, from swimming in the lake to stargazing. In the film, one of North Cornwall's biggest towns, Newquay, is portrayed as a rather down-and-out place full of delinquents. It did have a reputation as the place to celebrate finishing school exams, and being full of stag and hen dos – but now this is firmly behind it. It's always had some of the UK's best beaches and has been the home of British surfing since the Sixties, hosting the championships at Watergate Bay. From Watergate Bay, walk about an hour north to the beautiful small town of Mawgan Porth. Once it was only locals who knew about this wide open beach and great waves, but now it has been found by celebrities and it's changing quickly. Or for a longer hike, head south along the coast to Perranporth, which is about 4.5 hours of walking. Cornwall's first aparthotel, SeaSpace bridges the best bits of a hotel and an apartment. It's right on the clifftops above Watergate Bay in Newquay and has one- to three-bedroom apartments. For the best views, book a room at the front of the building which looks over the sea. Families will love the Miami-inspired 19-metre pool, and you can also hire a surfboard and hit the waves that are just a hop, skip and jump away. 4. Pendeen lighthouse to St Just, West Cornwall At the southern tip of Cornwall on Land's End peninsula are some of Cornwall's best preserved tin mines. The industry was the beating heart of the county in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was the world's biggest tin exporter, making the county extremely wealthy. Unsurprisingly, it's now designated a world heritage site. Starting from Pendeen lighthouse, heading south will take you past the Geevor tin mine museum (one of the last mines to close in 1990), the Levant mine, Crown's Engine House and Botallack mine (which features in both the 2015 Poldark series and the Rick Stein's Cornwall series), as well as the Wheal Edward Engine House. The rolling cliffs here are full of drama, and some headlands have very narrow paths, which almost feels like walking on a tightrope; they're so narrow that they likely won't be there for too much longer, so tread with care. Stay at: Gurnard's Head hotel Slightly further back up the coast is Gurnard's Head hotel, an unmissable landmark thanks to its bright gorse-yellow painted exterior that's right on the clifftop. The former coaching inn is still a traditional cosy pub (refreshingly, there are no TVs in the rooms), and it's just a short walk to the coast path. 6. Branscombe to Beer, east Devon Along this little stretch of east Devon's coastline, there are two of the county's most picturesque beaches. Starting in the twee 14th-century village of Branscombe, where the local thatched pub has taken over much of the village, it doesn't get much more bucolic than this. From the beach at Branscombe, with its dark reddish cliffs and beach huts, it's about 4.5 miles to Beer. At Beer, the pebbled beach is flanked on either side by the south coast's chalky cliffs. At the end of each day, the fishing fleet is hauled up out of the water onto the pebbles waiting to return again the following day. At the top of the beach, near the sloped entrance, and just 100 metres from the water, is a hole-in-the-wall fish market selling the day's catch. Stay at: Glebe House Slightly inland, near the village of Southleigh, is Glebe House. Run by Hugo and Olive, they're paying homage to the Italian agriturismo model of B&Bs. Plenty of the food they serve comes from their smallholding, they organise food experiences with nearby producers, and Olive's eye for colourful, vintage-inspired artsy interiors is infectious. Doubles from £159 night; 7. Kimmeridge Bay to Swanage, Dorset This final walk comes in right near the end of the South West Coast Path, which officially ends at Shell Bay on South Haven Point in Poole, just opposite Sandbanks and Brownsea Island in prime Enid Blyton territory. Part of the Jurassic Coast world heritage site, it's far quieter here than the much shorter Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door section further east. This is the longest section featured here, covering just over nine miles, from Kimmeridge Bay to Swanage. Walking along the chalk ridge, this section is one for budding archaeologists which keen fossil hunters will also love as it's an area people have lived and hunted in since the Mesolithic period, about 6,000 years ago. Views from the aptly named 'Heaven's Gate' are some of the best – inland looks to the Purbeck Hills, and over to Corfe Castle, and it offers excellent views back over the coastline. A fitting view to end on. Looking a little like The Pig hotels, The Canford is on the other side of the English Channel and is just a short ferry ride over. It has chic countryside-inspired rooms in heritage colours that sit above the pub.
