A Very Vexing Murder, the debut novel of Lucy Andrew, the first book in the Harriet Smith Investigates series, will be published on 5th March 2026 by Corvus, part of Atlantic Books. A Very Vexing Murder is a cosy crime retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma which transforms Emma’s timid little sidekick, Harriet Smith, into a…
Rail commuters across the West will benefit from the national freeze for train fares coming into effect from today. For the first time in 30 years, regulated rail fares across England have been frozen – meaning passengers won’t pay a penny more. Without the freeze, regulated rail fares would have increased by 5.8% today and added to…
Nearly nine out of ten children due to start secondary school in Bath and North East Somerset this September have been offered their preferred school, data published today shows. From 1,845 applications received by Bath & North East Somerset Council from B&NES residents, 97.1% were offered one of their overall preferences with 88.8% – some…
Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery has welcomed more than 66,000 visitors between April and December 2025 – its highest number since before the pandemic. The milestone comes at the end of a celebratory 125th anniversary year, marked by the reopening of the Upper Gallery following major restoration works funded by Bath & North East Somerset Council….
The region’s housing crisis was under the spotlight, as more than 150 policymakers, activists and industry figures came together recently at the second annual Bath and North East Somerset Housing Summit. The summit saw leaders from across the political spectrum commit to improve the supply of affordable homes in the area. Their signing of a…
Pupils from Peasedown St John Primary School have taken part in a special ‘Spy Day’ to better understand and the live the life of a character in a book they’re reading. To coincide with the launch of introducing Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz to the list of books being studied this term, Year 6 pupils spent a day…
The Bath and North East Somerset Councillors for Peasedown St John, Karen Walker and Gavin Heathcote (Independents), will be holding their next Advice Surgery on Saturday 7th March, at Peasedown St John Community Library, located in The Hive Community Centre. It will be an opportunity for residents to discuss issues and any concerns they have about the community….
Women are to be celebrated at a series of special church services on Sunday 15th March. Parish churches in Peasedown St John and Wellow will distribute flowers to all women who attend their services on Mothering Sunday. Revd Matthew Street, leader of the Anglican Churches in these villages, said: “We’re looking forward to giving thanks for…
Peasedown St John is to see a further £269,000 invested in it over the next 12 months – thanks to successful lobbying from the village’s councillors. Independent Councillors Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr Gavin Heathcote submitted a series of requests to the council’s leadership before last Tuesday’s annual budget meeting. Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr…
A rare sapling from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, which stood at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland before being illegally felled in 2023, has been planted in Alice Park in Bath. The sapling is one of 49 ‘Trees of Hope’ grown by the National Trust from the seed of the felled tree and gifted to local…
