Lifestyle
A water bird hunts for food beneath a waterfall
A small grey bird working the mossy rocks dived into the current in search of prey.
24 October 2026
News of 24 October 2026
11 storiesLatest news
Lifestyle
Busy bees among purple blooms
Bumblebees landing on asters in the autumn sun gathered nectar from flower to flower.
Culture
Old Quay Jazz Weekend returns with 40 free gigs in pubs, cafés and on harbour boats
The festival is back after a year's break, with a pared-back budget, a focus on local musicians and a floating stage on a former ferry.
Technology
University switches on new supercomputer for local weather forecasts
The machine can model the weather over the Wrenhaven coast in squares just 500 metres across, which forecasters say should improve warnings of flash floods and coastal gales.
Business
Tea gardens: green terraces on the hillsides
From Sri Lanka to Vietnam, Rwanda to Japan, the rhythmic green patterns of tea plantations.
Lifestyle
Pick-your-own pumpkin farm draws families to the Asher Valley in its busiest October yet
A farm that once grew only cereals now plants 14 varieties of pumpkin and squash, and turns its fields over to visitors for four weeks every autumn.
Business
Pop-up shops push Wrenhaven high-street vacancy rate to a six-year low
A scheme offering empty units to start-up traders on short, cheap leases has filled 37 shopfronts, and a third of the tenants have now signed longer contracts.
News
Millbrook footbridge over the River Asher reopens after flood repairs
The 80-year-old crossing, closed since floodwater damaged its foundations last winter, is back in use with stronger piers and a wider deck.
World
Ancient theatres: centuries on the stone steps
The seating, stages and surroundings of theatres from the Greek and Roman world.
Health
Walk-in mental health centre opens in Harbourside with evening sessions
The Harbour Room offers free, confidential support without an appointment or referral, and stays open until 10pm on weekdays.
World
Coral gardeners regrow 12 hectares of reef off a Pacific atoll
Divers from the Tavua Reef Institute have planted more than 90,000 coral fragments over six years, and fish numbers on the restored sections are approaching those of healthy reefs nearby.