IT HAS been almost exactly two years since the toilet block in Longforth Road, Wellington, was put out of action by a car which crashed into it.

But, finally, after such a lengthy time, the local council have decided on a building to replace it - with planning approval having been approved by Somerset Council with the cost being £230,000.

The council will be able to pay for some of the cost from its own insurance and that of the insurance of the driver involved in the accident. But after two years this has still not been resolved.

The council could also receive money to pay for it from a public works loan which can be repaid over a long period, while it could also use 'CIL' money from housing developments.

All of a sudden, it would appear that Longforth Road will soon have its toilet block back up and running.

Well, that's not quite the case. It will not reopen until the Autumn of next year - almost three years from when it was first put out of use.

It has been a marathon. . . .

I THINK Wellington can be proud of its Christmas lights again this year.

To get a good view of them it's best to stand near St John's Church and look down along High Street to the town centre.

For a small town it's impressive and makes Wellington look very festive indeed.

South Street is also looking a picture although North Street seems to have been given a miss this year.

North Street at night is a very dark road anyway and it must be disheartening for residents in the street to see how nice the lights are in the town centre.

THE BBC decided viewers should again decide from a short-list of six who should win the Sports Personality of the Year award.

Track star Keely Hodgkinson quite rightly won the award only months after winning gold at the Paris Olympics. But to be quite honest she did not have much opposition although darts super-kid Luke Littler was a strong candidate and came second.

I'm not quite sure why footballer Jude Bellingham was on short-list - what did he win? And some people could be excused for not knowing who Dame Sarah Storey or Alex Yee are.

If I had my way cyclist Mark Cavendish would have won it but the BBC got around that by awarding him the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Cavendish is the most successful sprinter in the world of all time. Surely, this puts him up there with some of the greats. But then what do I know.

But if you want a really big sports personality, what about Sir Chris Hoy, whose fight against cancer has been well documented? He's a true Olympiian and you could not get a more respected figure in sport.

IT'S time for New Year's resolutions and I've decided not to write about dog poo, litter and fly-tipping. Well, maybe not for a week or too.

Here's to a Happy New Year to all readers . . . and let's hope some of those very worrying comflicts in the world will be resolved. It is indeed an anxious time. . . as the suffering for millions goes on.

My mother always said the next World War would start in the Middle East. Let's hope she was wrong and that countries like Iran, China, Russia and North Korea will look to making this world a better and safer place.

At the moment there is little hope of this , , but at some point the leaders of such countries have to realise that force is not the only answer to solve conflicts. It is important to talk.