Family Life

Play for free in Princesshay this summer

Princesshay has unveiled its line-up of summer activities, including PrincessPlay; a free playground, alongside the return of its Independent Market, street food traders and live music for visitors to enjoy in the heart of Exeter.

The start of the school holidays will see the main square transformed into PrincessPlay an all age playground and pitstop with grass and seating to create a place where people can stop, relax and spend time together while enjoying a range of free activities including table tennis, mini golf, giant chess, hopscotch, snakes and ladders and climbing...

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New undercover play area at Pecorama making good progress!

The exciting new children's play area at Pecorama, the railway-themed visitor attraction at Beer, is shaping up well, with an anticipated completion date near the end of September.

The impressive multi-decked structure, appropriately reminiscent of a railway terminus, will contain a mini module soft play area for toddlers, a labyrinth of slides, climbing frames and scramble nets, with the odd railway feature thrown in for good effect!

The history of the ottoman

Furniture Village ( www.furniturevillage.co.uk ) launched a nationwide competition in March this year to find pieces of furniture with unique and intriguing family histories. After receiving an extensive number of entries from across the UK, Christine Westlake from Braunton, Exeter, was selected as one of the winners for the story of her grandmother’s handmade ottoman, and has received £500 worth of vouchers to spend at her local Furniture Village in Sowton Retail Park, Exeter.

This small ottoman was crafted by Christine’s grandmother, Olive, during the Second World War.

A...

Dine and draw at giraffe this summer, plus kids eat free!

Giving little ones the chance to channel their inner Van Gogh, family-friendly restaurant group giraffe is launching a nationwide art competition this summer. Helping to get those creative juices flowing, children dining at giraffe until 23 August can customise their very own ‘beach scene’ place mat for a chance to win dinner for a year at giraffe.

Available at giraffe in the Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, the brightly coloured place mat simply asks kids to depict a day of summer fun with giraffe mascot Giddy – the rest is up to them! Entries can be submitted via your waiter...

Only three days left to the event all Exeter Mums are talking about..

With only a few days until the Recharge and Achieve More Event, I have been reflecting on how I made this event happen for you. It has been a struggle getting to Friday, I had to turn away partners who wanted to be involved; the day we launched our website crashed due to the high demand and my web team managed to get it back up and running; and I had to make tough decisions on who I wanted to speak at the event. I had a few who wanted to speak to sell their products, but I had to say no to them as this event is totally the opposite to what that is about.

Finally, we are here with...

Learn to survive in the wild at Lydford Gorge

On 20 and 21 July, why not get the camping gear out and spend a weekend at Lydford Gorge near Tavistock learning survival techniques?

An exciting itinerary of activities will run over the weekend. These include looking at what you need to survive in the wild, ‘proper’ den building, learning to light a fire as well as cooking over an open fire. The Dartmoor ranger team will lead the sessions and will even produce hot chocolate at the overnight camp in the orchard at the Gorge.

Stuart Mathieson, National Trust Ranger, says: “It is a great family experience learning together...

Newton Abbot Races hosts Kids Love the Races Roadshow

There aren’t many places that you can take the kids for free in the school holidays, but Newton Abbot races in Devon is a great exception with children under 16 admitted free of charge throughout the year. And there’s never been a better time to visit than next weekend (Sunday 21July) when the course will be hosting a new interactive ‘Kids love the Races’ roadshow designed to entertain and engage children in the sport.

Here, budding young jockeys can enjoy finding out more about the equine and human stars of the sport, design their own racing silks and take a look at some...

Third Shirt Launch at Exeter City Fun Day

The long-awaited Exeter City FC’s third shirt will be unveiled at the St James’ Park Fun Day on Sunday 14 July. This will be the first chance to see and purchase this shirt commemorating part of the Club's great history.

At the same time there will be a range of activities to interest all ages including competitions, stalls, bouncy castle and BBQ, and a players' training session taken by manager Paul Tisdale, after which the squad will have their team photos taken and then assemble with supporters for the ever popular 'Big Bank Photo'. Afterwards there will be the chance to meet...

Divorcees: don’t forget your pensions!

Research released by the National Office of Statistics has uncovered that only 6% of divorcing couples consider pensions within their settlement, emphasising the frightening financial state many people find themselves post-divorce.

The Prudential agree, adding that 40 per cent of those planning to retire in 2013 have been divorced. In general they are less likely to have private pensions, more likely to retire with debts, and less likely to believe they are financially well prepared for retirement.

Top South West divorce lawyer, Liz Allen, explains: “There are so many...

Helping to keep children safe on farms

As the school holidays approach, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding farmers to think about the everyday risks and hazards on their farms and how they can protect children and young people from those risks.

HSE has revised and improved guidance aimed at reducing child deaths on farms and providing essential information on keeping children safe.

The leaflet contains practical advice and guidance on how to comply with the law in a simple and clearer format. It can be downloaded free from the HSE website .

Graeme Walker, Head of HSE’s Agriculture sector...

Reforms in adoption mean you can be approved in 6 months

Local adoption specialists Families for Children are heightening their search for potential adopters across Devon as new government reforms in the adoption process this month means a shorter time to become an adoptive parent.

Graham Pellew, Deputy CEO of Families for Children says: “For years we have battled the myth that becoming an adoptive parent can take years. It has always been a common misconception with adoption that the process is long and drawn out when in fact in the past if you applied to adopt through Families for Children there was no initial waiting time before we...

Family Life

Play for free in Princesshay this summer

New undercover play area at Pecorama making good progress!

The history of the ottoman

Dine and draw at giraffe this summer, plus kids eat free!

Only three days left to the event all Exeter Mums are talking about..

Learn to survive in the wild at Lydford Gorge

Newton Abbot Races hosts Kids Love the Races Roadshow

Third Shirt Launch at Exeter City Fun Day

Divorcees: don’t forget your pensions!

Helping to keep children safe on farms

Reforms in adoption mean you can be approved in 6 months

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