Latest news with #WottonunderEdge
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
YouTube videos of life on Gloucestershire farm keeping it afloat
A beef farmer who uploads videos to YouTube every evening has said the channel is keeping his business Pullen, whose family have been in farming since the early 17th Century, now has 46,000 subscribers to his Farmer P channel, with each video making up to £100. Mr Pullen began documenting life on the Gloucestershire farm so that his late mother Jean Pullen, whom he affectionately calls "The Dragon", could watch from hospital during the fans now watch over supper – and some, he said, have even sent him love letters. He said he dare not mention running out of anything for fear of parcels arriving the next day. The father-of-four, of Bradley Farm in Wotton-under-Edge, said: "We started the YouTube channel with the farm about five or six years ago. "It's just an open diary of daily life on the farm and what we do. It seems quite a few people like to follow along and see what is going on. "It means they know how we rear and raise our stuff, and I think that is one of the reasons we are popular... folks know how we do it." The videos go up at 18:00 each day. "People organise their evenings to watch it," said Mr Pullen, who can often be seeing riding in his tractor with dog Biskit. "We have subscribers who have their supper at six o'clock now so they can sit and join us to have their supper. It's a mad world."An average video could make £100. It's one of those things where the farm is not really making any income now, and to be honest YouTube is keeping us going."Without it I think we would struggle now to actually survive as a farm." Mr Pullen inherited the farm business from his father in 1993, by which time he was also running a tree surgery company, which is still in business daughter Holli also helps by making bread and using beef from the farm's Dexter cattle to make pies, which he said she posts to customers around the country.
The Sun
02-08-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Does summer make you sad? Here's why seasonal changes can trigger the blues
AS her daughter played happily in a paddling pool as a toddler, Heidi Ellert-McDermott blinked back tears. 'Everyone seemed to be having such a lovely time and was glowing in the sunshine,' she recalls, 'but I was feeling really low and like I just wanted it to cloud over.' 5 5 5 The speech writer, from Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucs, is not alone in hating the summer months. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that affects one in 20 people in the UK. While traditionally associated with dark winters, 'reverse SAD' affects ten per cent of those with the condition. Clinical psychologist Dr Andrea Pickering, fellow of the British Psychological Society and clinical director at Clinical Partners, explains: 'It is triggered by seasonal changes, most commonly during winter but sometimes in summer. 'Blackout blinds' 'Like other forms of depression, it's linked to chemical changes in the brain, particularly involving serotonin which regulates mood, and melatonin which controls sleep. 'In winter, less sunlight leads to lower serotonin levels and increased melatonin production. 'In summer, the brain can become overstimulated by too much sunlight or heat, which can disrupt sleep cycles and leave people feeling agitated, anxious and unbalanced. 'So while the triggers are seasonal, the brain's response is similar to depression, just with different timing.' Heidi, 48, originally from Scotland, says her symptoms started around 2007. She adds: 'I don't remember having the extreme dislike of summer as a child or in my twenties, it kicked in in my mid-thirties. What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? 'I've felt it long enough that my friends don't expect me to dance at a festival or 'just come for an hour' to a roasting hot barbecue any more. 'I use blackout blinds, I've got fans in every room, I sleep with ice packs in my socks and I only venture out in the sunshine when I absolutely have to.' GP Dr Rosie Khan is seeing an increasing number of patients with reverse SAD. She says: 'I see a spike each year, especially in patients already living with anxiety or mood disorders. 'These individuals often report feeling overwhelmed, agitated and unusually fatigued during the warmer months. The longer days, intense heat and social pressure of summer can be just as challenging as winter.' Lisa Ventura, 51, from Worcester, has had reverse SAD symptoms since she was a child. She says: 'I've been to my GP plenty of times over the years but every time I've been told to just eat some ice cream, drink more water and stay indoors. 'None of this helps. In recent years it has been dismissed as the menopause, even though I've never had other symptoms. 'Cooped up' 'It feels like doctors think I'm being dramatic, just as my teachers thought at school.' There are guidelines for treatment of the condition, though. Dr Khan says: 'The NHS recommends a combination of approaches, depending on the severity of symptoms. 'This includes self-help techniques, talking therapies and sometimes medication. 'Lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, staying cool and managing screen time can make a big difference, too.' Lisa, who works as a cyber security expert, says the impact on her life has been huge. 'Every arrangement I make in the summer has to be caveated with 'as long as it isn't too hot' — especially if the temperature goes above 25C,' she says. 'I couldn't attend my cousin's fiance's 50th birthday party at the end of June as it was a barbecue in 30C heat. There was no way I could sit outside even for a few minutes. 'I'm a huge Black Sabbath fan and I desperately wanted to go to their final concert at Villa Park but my heart sank when I saw it was in July because I knew I wouldn't be able to go if it was hot. 5 5 'I also recently started an outdoor yoga class but have had to miss the first three sessions because of the heatwaves. 'I hate being cooped up at home but I have no other choice.' Dr Pickering says it might not be as common as anxiety, which affects eight million people in the UK, but SAD is 'very real' for those impacted and the symptoms should not be ignored. 'It often shows up as low mood, anxiety or irritability during late spring and summer,' she says. 'People might struggle to sleep, feel restless or panicky, lose their appetite or avoid socialising and going outside. 'It can feel like you're out of sync with others who seem to enjoy the season. 'If these symptoms start to affect your daily life, it's worth speaking to a GP or mental health professional.' Heidi, who says she spends the summer months counting down the days until the clocks go back, wishes more people understood reverse SAD. 'I've googled 'Is hating summer a personality flaw?',' she says. 'I get irritable and start irrationally resenting people for being cheerful in shorts. 'It's like I'm the only person not enjoying the 'best time of year'. It's like being the designated driver at a month-long party. 'I've braved a couple of hot holidays but I can't be more than five metres from a pool or the sea. 'Red flag' 'Rain calms me and fog delights me but disliking summer doesn't mean I'm joyless. I just like my joy chilled — and preferably set to the sound of rain on my windows.' Dr Khan says anyone can be affected by SAD but it is more common in women and usually begins in young adulthood. 'People with a family history of depression or other mood disorders may also be more susceptible,' she adds. 'Those who are highly sensitive to changes in light, temperature or routine, or shift workers or people with anxiety can be more vulnerable, too.' If a dislike of summer starts affecting work or relationships, it could be time to seek help. 'We all have seasonal preferences but when your discomfort in summer becomes emotionally and physically disabling, that's a red flag,' Dr Pickering says. 'Don't dismiss it. Speak to your GP or a mental health professional. Practical lifestyle changes to regulate light and temperature can really help. 'Try using blackout curtains, sticking to a regular sleep routine and limiting exposure to bright light if that's a trigger. 'Most importantly, know that you're not alone and professional help is available.'
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Gloucestershire engineering firm attempts to make £20m in cuts
Global engineering firm, Renishaw, has announced a voluntary redundancy scheme for its UK and Ireland employees in an attempt to make £20m in which is based in Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire, currently employs more than 3,000 people in the UKThey introduced their voluntary reduction scheme last Thursday as part of their global cost reduction world-leading supplier, founded in 1973, specialises in high-precision measuring systems used by companies that manufacture aircraft and medical equipment. A statement from Renishaw stated: 'In recent years, Renishaw has faced challenging market conditions. Whilst we have achieved some growth, we have also faced significant inflationary pressures in our costs which have grown faster than our revenues." A spokesperson for the company said they had already taken action to boost productivity and reduce costs including closing their Edinburgh site and reducing graduate intake. The firm said it believed the move was necessary to further reduce costs and make annual savings of up to £20m.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sinkhole closes down road through Gloucestershire village
The sudden appearance of a sinkhole has closed the main road through a village. The B4058 Rushmire Hill in Coombe, near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, had to be closed immediately on 13 June. Gloucestershire County Council said the hole beneath the surface of the road was approximately three-and-a-half metres deep, leaving them with no choice but to close the road. An urgent investigation into the cause found damage to a public sewer, run by Wessex Water. A spokesperson for the water company said preparations were under way to "ensure repairs can be made safely and effectively". They added that they were working in partnership with the council's highways teams to keep disruption "to a minimum". A spokesperson for the council confirmed that updates would be issued on their website, with separate road works on Rushmire Hill to prevent landslips still expected to be resolved by 6 July. "While we can not guarantee the sinkhole will be resolved by then, we are currently optimistic that the road can be fully opened by this date," they added.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
The children keeping their local phone box in use
When was the last time you used a phone box? In one Gloucestershire village phone boxes are regularly being used by children because of mobile phone signal black spots in the area. Young mountain bikers and other people living in North Nibley, near Wotton-under-Edge, rely on their two red phone boxes to contact home when out in the nearby woods. Earlier this year, one of the phone boxes - described as a "lifeline" - was saved from being disconnected. Video Journalists: Alastair McKee and Lilly Mae Messenger
