Western Daily Press

S omerset's one-day cricket has improved a lot this year and it would be lovely if we could round the season off with some silverware by winning the Pro40 competition. It's tight at the top and there look to be four sides, Sussex, Worcestershire, ourselves and Hampshire, in with a chance of taking the title.

Film Universal Soldier 10.00pm, Five [...]

Meehan: We Can Win Back People's Respect ; Bath Coach Sees Season As a New Beginning

Steve Meehan is understandably looking forward to this weekend - so his players can start making headlines for the right reasons again. The Bath head coach endured a tumultuous summer, during which four of his senior players left the club under a cloud.

Merriman Ditches Sevens to Focus On Bristol

Summer signing James Merriman has given Bristol a major lift on the eve of the new season by ditching his Wales Sevens commitments in order to focus on his new club. The former Gloucester flanker, left, has spent five years on the IRB World Sevens circuit with Wales, becoming a world champion in Dubai earlier this year. But he is quitting the shortened form of the game so he can concentrate fully on aiding Bristol's bid for promotion to the Guinness Premiership.

She Was - and Is - the Love of My Life ; She Said She Felt Unwell - Minutes Later She Was Dead

It started off as a normal evening. One minute he was watching TV with the woman he loved, the next minute he was watching helplessly as she slipped away. Richard Peters, from Okeford Fitzpaine, near Blandford, Dorset, has told of his heartache at losing the love of his life so suddenly and unexpectedly.

Fresh Eggs

People who have always wanted to keep chickens are invited to a special course. Bath City Farm will be running the comprehensive, one-day course on keeping chickens in your own backyard on September 12.

Tot Saved in Tower Collapse

A local woman has been hailed a hero after protecting a baby from being crushed under scaffolding that collapsed at the Corsley Show on Bank Holiday Monday. The woman, who was walking past the 25ft tower with a 14-month- old baby in her arms, was struck after the tower toppled over - believed to be caused by high winds.

Choosing Organic Comes Naturally ; the Food Standards Agency's Declaration in a Recent Report That Organic Food Is No More Nutritious Than Conventional Alternatives Is Not the Whole Story, Says Organic Farmer Peter Kindersley

So organic food is back in the headlines again. But did you know that the Food Standards Agency report shows many organic foods are richer in nutrients compared to conventional foods? Probably not. You probably missed that fact among all the stories saying exactly the opposite. Indeed this very fact was ignored as "not important" in the greater scheme of the FSA's research and in its announcement that organic produce is "no better" than conventional foods.

Eviction Farce Shows How Shortsighted Council Was

Living next door to anti-social neighbours can be a nightmare experience for residents living in an otherwise quiet and orderly street. People subjected to bad behaviour can suffer stress which affects their health.

Thought for the Day

Is This Calendar Insensitive?

The recent deaths and injuries in Afghanistan have caused a great deal of mourning across the nation. Families have been left devastated after learning their loved one will not be coming home or has been permanently harmed. It is only right that those injured fighting for their country are supported on their return as much as possible.

Oil Find Fails to Lift Markets

A major oil discovery for BP sent the group's shares racing to their highest close for nine months yesterday, but failed to lift the wider market. The FTSE 100 Index languished in the red for the second session, closing down 2.2 points at 4817.6, with little in the way of corporate news to add momentum.

West Stockbroker's Profits Rocket 20% ; Hargreaves Lansdown Investments Defy the Recession

Hargreaves Lansdown defied the recession to post a 20 per cent rise in profits to Pounds 73.1 million. Turnover at the Bristol stockbroker also rose, up 10 per cent to Pounds 132.8m in the year to June 30.