Western Daily Press

Pedal Power

Around half of motorists own a bicycle and two in five cycle regularly, according to figures from Institute of Advanced Motorists. Twice as many male motorists as women motorists cycle regularly.

James Runs, Jumps, Falls and Bounces to Victory ; Dorset Soldier Is Crowned Total Wipeout's Champion of Champions

Tens of thousands of viewers watched as one Dorset man stormed to victory on TV's most physical game show. Lieutenant James Scott, an army officer, tirelessly slid down waterslides, scrambled across tightropes and swung on to giant balls to be crowned Total Wipeout's Champion of Champions.

Driving Sheep Is Quite Difficult Actually

This is the moment a woman became the first person in more than a century to invoke her ancient right to drive sheep - through a town centre. Former Exeter City councillor Mary Evans, 76, carried a crook to herd the five woolly animals past stunned shoppers on a packed Devon high street.

Charity Boost

A garden party held in memory of a Somerset man has raised more than Pounds 1,500 for charity. Michelle and Maria Stannard held the event on behalf of the Burnham and Highbridge Branch of the RNLI in memory of their father Mike Stannard, a long-standing member of the branch, who died last year.

Hospital Food Fears

People are far more likely to go hungry in an NHS hospital than in a prison, researchers have said. This is despite prisons spending less per person on meals than hospitals do.

Payout to Charities

A dedicated Dorset policeman put his best foot forward to raise thousands of pounds for a cause close to his heart. Inspector Les Fry, of Dorchester Police, raised more than Pounds 3,600 after completing the London Marathon.

The Day I Nearly Died Changed My Life for the Better

There aren't many people who can say that a horrific car accident changed their life for the better. But for one Gloucestershire businessman that is exactly what happened.

Discount Stores Take Over the High Street

The changing face of the British high street is revealed eight months after the last Woolworths shops closed, with a large number of discount stores now taking their place. Of the 360 stores under new occupation, more than one third (134) have been taken over by discount retailers, new research shows. Shops such as B&M Bargains, 99p stores and Poundland have sprung up across the nation, reflecting the strength of the market for cheap goods during the economic downturn.

Choir Invite

Salisbury Cathedral Junior Choir is starting its new term by inviting people to join them in singing hits from a much-loved musical. The new term begins on September 12 with its usual 11am to noon rehearsal followed immediately by a free fun event - a 'Come and Sing' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Cycle Race to Boost Tourism

The Tour of Britain could provide a welcome windfall to the local economy in Somerset next month. Somerset County Council is working in partnership to host two stages of the Tour of Britain in the South West on September 17 and 18. It hopes that people will make the most of the two days, taking in the spectacle of the cycle race and perhaps enjoying an extended holiday in the region.

Sunburn Uk

More than half of people who got sunburnt last summer did so in the UK. A survey of almost 4,000 people found that one in five suffered sunburn after failing to adequately protect themselves. Of these, 55 per cent got burnt in the UK.

Sooty Is Uk's Top Donkey

Sooty the donkey and seven of his companions from Skegness have won the prestigious titles of 'Britain's Best Individual Beach Donkey of 2009' and 'Britain's Best Group of Beach Donkeys of 2009' in a national competition run by the Donkey Sanctuary, based in Sidmouth. Sooty and his pals, Alfie, Pedro, Lofty, Noddy, Harley, Rockie and Macca, owned by John Nuttall, were chosen by the charity's national judge, Amber Brennan, who judged regional finalists from Aberdovey, Blackpool, Brixham, Filey...

Tom's a Star

World diving champion Tom Daley is celebrating an A* at a GCSE he took a year early - after studying the course for just 10 days. Brainy Tom, 15, took the combined science exam in June - 12 months before he was due to sit the test with his classmates.

Hope New Drug Will Beat Stroke

A new blood-thinning drug could end the use of rat poison as a primary medical treatment to prevent stroke, it has been claimed. For half a century, thousands of patients at risk of stroke have been given warfarin to prevent blood clotting. But treatment with the drug, commonly used to kill vermin, is risky.

The End Is Nigh (Possibly) ; As Anniversary Approaches, Solar Flares Could Spell Doom

It is an anniversary that may go largely unnoticed, but it's one that could have serious implications for you, me and indeed all of Western Civilisation. Ignore the events of September 1, 1859, at your peril. Exactly 150 years ago tomorrow, something extraordinary was happening in the evening skies above Bristol.

Beer Festival's 23,000 Pints Defy the Crunch

Six thousand drinkers slurped their way through the slump at Gloucestershire's Frocester Beer Festival at the weekend. They downed 23,000 pints of beer, a lake of cider and about 1,000 bottles of wine from all over the world. The festival, organised by Dursley Lions Club, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a Frocester Festival XXX beer specially brewed for the occasion by Severn Vale Brewery from Cam.

Restoration of 'Lucky Lady' Is a Labour of Love ; Rebuilding Steam Engine has Taken 30 Years - and There's Another One to Go

They look magnificent with their gleaming brasswork at rallies and shows, but few realise the Herculean effort that goes into restoring the great old workhorse steam engines of the past. As the Great Dorset Steam Fair gears up for its opening on Wednesday, one 30-year restoration is still under way at Tintinhull, near Yeovil, Somerset. Veteran steam enthusiast Alan Fry is working long and hard to complete a mammoth rebuild of Tynwald, a Burrell agricultural engine dating from 1914, and one of...

Bulk-Buy Meat Feast

British public is turning to bulk buying from farms to enjoy truly seasonal meat, according to the latest research. A survey, carried out by meat producer Heritage Prime, shows that shoppers across the UK are turning their backs on supermarket-sized meat portions and investing in larger orders direct from farms instead. Instead of costly packs of sausages and individual steaks, people are ordering better-value quarter, half or whole carcasses.

Fly-Over by Superjumbo

The world's biggest passenger plane, the 555-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo, will make its first appearance over the skies of Scotland and Northern Ireland next weekend. The plane, whose wings are made in Filton, Bristol, will put on a flying display at the Northern Ireland International Airshow at Portrush on Saturday.

Where Have All the Good Jumble Sales Gone?

Whatever happened to jumble sales? They seem to have died out and been replaced with boot sales and garage sales and eBay. I used to love jumble sales, all the rummaging, and the hope of finding treasure, the barging and the mounds of dubious clothes, the copies of What Kay Did and the Radiant Cookery Book, the dreadful old shoes and the rock-bottom prices. It was grotty but strangely addictive.