The Weston Mercury takes us back to 1969 and the Yatton Fat Stock Show

Thursday, December 19, 2020

Both local newspapers The Weston Mercury and the Cheddar Valley Gazette are full of the thoughts of the victorious Conservative MPs who came out on top in the General Election on December 12. Dr Liam Fox in North Somerset hopes to get the railway from Portishead to Bristol finally given the green light, while John Penrose in Weston-super-Mare cited having a larger hospital as a priority. And in the Wells constituency James Heappey has been appointed Minister of Defence for Procurement as a reward for his loyalty and a reflection of his military background.

The Mercury’s Henry Woodsford reports on a cycle route linking Weston to Clevedon which could begin being constructed next summer – if £1.5m funding is granted. Planning permission was secured a year ago while it awaits a North Somerset Council executive meeting on January 7, 2020, to approve a commissioning plan for a 1.4km section at Wick St Lawrence.

In the Mercury’s nostalgia section there’s a charming photo of an Aberdeen Angus calf at the Yatton Christmas Fat Stock Show in 1969 along with reports on a possible teachers’ strike and the drafting in of 150 extra postmen to cope with the Christmas rush – in the days before email.

In the Cheddar Valley Gazette one section that holds up well despite the decline in local reporting is the sports section. And the big news is Winscombe AFC’s winning run which has projected them to second in Somerset County League Division 1 West behind Timsbury Athletic after beating Saltford 3-0.