August 2006 Burnham-On-Sea News

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Gift shop shuts for final time
A GIFT shop in the centre of Burnham-On-Sea shut its doors for the final time on Thursday (August 31st) - as it became an Internet-only store instead. The Gift Gallery in Cross Street began trading in April and sold a wide variety of gifts - from candles to collectibles. More...

TV cameras return to Berrow
BERROW beach will be back in the media spotlight this week when filming of a new music video featuring a cast of 150 people gets underway. London-based Indie rock band The Holloways are shooting a music video this Sunday (September 3rd) from 10am. More...

Warning after life rings stolen
LIFEGUARDS in Burnham-On-Sea are warning that lives could be put at risk if vandals continue to steal inflatable life rings from the town's seafront. Burnham-On-Sea.com learns that thirteen of the life-saving rings have been stolen from the seafront in the last two years. More...

New £50k pilot boat for town
A NEW pilot boat for Burnham-On-Sea is set to be officially launched on Tuesday September 5th in a ceremony on the South Esplanade. Sedgemoor District Council has invested in the new pilot boat for its duties around Bridgwater Bay and the River Parrett. More...

History lessons as you walk!
WALKERS along Burnham's seafront can now quite literally step back in time following this week's launch of several new information points which provide historical information about the town. Six new points were officially unveiled on Monday (August 28th). More...

Brean visitors' boost for BARB
GENEROUS Brean holidaymakers have raised more than £1,700 towards the charity that runs Burnham's two rescue hovercrafts after a busy summer of fundraising. Mike and Caroline Walsh of Pontypool organised a series of events at the Beachcomber Inn. More...

Fingerprint checks for clubbers
A BURNHAM-On-Sea night club could soon introduce fingerprint scanning at its front door rather than requiring clubbers to show conventional ID. Shakers in the High Street is considering asking clubbers to provide fingerprint ID information in a bid to make it safer and easier for clubbers. More...

Big turnout at hospital fete
FAIRGROUND games and stalls were among the many attractions that attracted large crowds to Burnham-On-Sea's annual hospital fete on Monday (August 28th). Hundreds of holidaymakers and residents crowded into the Manor Gardens for the popular annual event. More...

Park unveils expansion plans
A BURNHAM-On-Sea holiday park has unveiled major plans to expand its sports facilities this week. Burnham-On-Sea Holiday Village in Marine Drive has applied for outline planning permission to build an all-weather bowls court, boules rink and tennis court. More...

Street party raises £1,200
MORE than £1,200 was raised for charity during a Burnham-On-Sea pub's annual street party on Sunday evening (August 27th). The Somerset and Dorset's annual street party attracted large crowds of revellers to the southern end of the High Street. More...

RSPCA struggles at Brent Knoll
AN RSPCA animal shelter near Burnham-On-Sea is having to turn away abandoned dogs because it cannot afford to help them. The RSPCA says it is short of £300,000 to build new kennels at its Brent Knoll centre as dogs are having to be kept in private kennels. More...

Town's MP wants your views
BURNHAM-On-Sea MP David Heathcoat-Amory is asking residents in the town to complete a survey on his Web site so he can better understand their views on hot topics. Subjects covered include the funding of political parties, the NHS, wind energy and the regional assemby. More...

Rail enthusiasts flock to show
MORE than 800 train enthusiasts from across the country were in Burnham-On-Sea on Saturday (August 26th) for the town's annual Sedgemoor Rail exhibition. The popular two-day event - now in its 28th year - was held in the main hall at Burnham's King Alfred School. More...

FolkFest schedule announced
DOZENS of music events are set to be held across Burnham-On-Sea during a two-day folk music festival on September 2nd and 3rd. Musicians from across the country are set to converge on the town for FolkFest 2006 to play a foot-tapping mixture of music. More...

Two arrested over cash theft
TWO people have been arrested in Burnham-On-Sea following the theft of a charity collection box from a High Street shop. Two men walked into Burnham's Specsavers store at lunchtime last Monday and walked away with the box full of money for a local charity. More...

River watch scheme starts
BURNHAM-On-Sea residents are being invited to join a new River Parrett 'Trail Watchers' scheme. The project asks for volunteers to monitor a stretch of the River Parrett Trail to act as the county council's eyes on the ground, informing it when work is required. More...

Town GCSE pupils celebrate
SCORES of GCSE students in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge were celebrating on Thursday morning (August 24th) when they received their long-awaited results. Students gathered at the Burnham Road school at 9am to receive their sealed envelopes. More...

Bid for 16 new homes unveiled
PLANS to build 16 new homes on the outskirts of Highbridge were unveiled on Thursday (August 24th). Chelvey Homes has submitted a major planning application to demolish a bungalow at 55a Huntspill Road and replace it with the new housing development. More...

New flooding advice page
BURNHAM-On-Sea.com has launched a new page offering advice and information regarding flooding in the town. It comes after the Environment Agency this week asked Burnham, Brean and Berrow residents to be aware that high tides in September could bring an increased risk of flooding. More...

Farmers' market this Friday
BURNHAM-On-Sea residents will have another opportunity to buy fresh groceries from the town's successful farmers' market on Friday (August 25th). The event takes place from 9am until 1pm in the High Street near Cross Street in the centre of the town. More...

Graffiti vandals target sea wall
GRAFFITI vandals have once again scrawled messages along Burnham-On-Sea's sea wall, prompting a big council clean-up operation. Scores of messages have been daubed on the wall at the southern end of the Esplanade, angering the Town Council. More...

New town hovercraft in action
BURNHAM-On-Sea's new £15,000 second rescue hovercraft was in action for the first time on Wednesday (August 23rd) during its first training session. Two pilots from BARB took the 'Light Of Elizabeth' on its first training flight along the beach and into Bridgwater Bay. Video

Opera singer beats the rain!
HUNDREDS of opera fans flocked to a garden centre near Burnham-On-Sea on Wednesday (August 23rd) to hear singer Tim Pitman perform an impressive line-up of opera music. Heavy rain failed to dampen spirits at the concert at Sanders Garden World. More... | Video

Police appeal for witnesses
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a serious crash near Burnham-On-Sea that left five people needing hospital treatment. The accident at West Huntspill occurred last Thursday (August 17th) at 8.35pm on the main A38 road. A car collided with a house wall. More...

Final Brean concert will be free
BREAN Leisure Park is holding its final Party In The Park concert of this summer season on Thursday night (August 24th) when entry will be completely free. The final show will feature local band 'Cause for Concern', an up-and-coming West Country group. More...

Railway users face disruption
BURNHAM-On-Sea and Highbridge rail users face disruption this winter when major track maintenance work gets underway, closing the main line. Network Rail has announced that the line between Highbridge and Bridgwater will be closed during November and December. More...

Cashpoint scam hits Burnham shoppers
SCORES of shoppers at Burnham-On-Sea's Tesco supermarket may have fallen victim to a cash mahine scam in which hundreds of pounds has been taking from bank accounts. It was confirmed on Monday by Tesco that criminals had installed 'skimming' devices. More...

BBC Dracula film crew in Brean
BREAN Beach was transformed into a movie set on Monday morning (August 21st) when filming of a major new BBC film got underway. To the sound of 'lights, camera, action', film crews from Granada TV were shooting a new version of Dracula, to be broadcast on BBC One. More...

RNLI shop's plea for helpers
BURNHAM-On-Sea RNLI has made an urgent plea for more volunteers to come forward to help run its seafront store. Volunteers are desperately needed to maintain the fundraising shop, which is located on The Esplanade near the town's jetty. More...

High tide warning for Burnham
THE Environment Agency is asking Burnham, Brean and Berrow residents to be aware that high tides in September could bring an increased risk of flooding. Coastal towns and villages could be at risk from the extreme high tides if they coincide with stormy weather. More...

Rush hour crash chaos on M5
TRAFFIC was queued for more than five miles along the M5 motorway on Monday (August 21st) after a serious accident at the Burnham-On-Sea junction. Police and paramedics rushed to the southbound sliproad at 6.10am after a car flipped over onto its roof. More...

In photos: ESCAPE Day 2006
A NEW second rescue hovercraft for Burnham-On-Sea was officially unveiled on Saturday August 19th during the town's third annual ESCAPE day. A special service for the brand new £15,000 craft, called The Light Of Elizabeth after Lelaina Hall's sister, was held. More...

School records 93% pass rate
STUDENTS at King Alfred School in Burnham-On-Sea celebrated after receiving their A and AS Level exam results this week. The school said it was "very pleased" with its 93 per cent pass rate. A record number of students are applying to universities than ever before. More...

Police investigate rape claim
TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of rape after an alleged attack on two teenage girls in Highbridge. Police confirmed on Friday (August 18th) that one of the girls has claimed she was raped while the second says she was seriously sexually assaulted. More...

Second hovercraft unveiled
A NEW second rescue hovercraft for Burnham-On-Sea is to be officially unveiled this Saturday during the annual ESCAPE day. A special service for the brand new £15,000 craft - to be called The Light Of Elizabeth after Lelaina Hall's sister - is to be held at 10.30am. More...