Family Life

From a tiny egg, via a crawly caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly, come and celebrate the butterflies and moths that are native to Britain on 5 and 6 July at A la Ronde, near Exmouth.

The Big Butterfly Weekend, which runs from 11am–4pm, will have experts on hand to help you discover all sorts of interesting facts about these fascinating creatures. You will be able to take a guided walk in the wildflower meadow to find out how to spot and identify some of our native species (take your own binoculars); and you can learn about the plants that attract butterflies.

This year,...

Researchers at the University of Exeter found that older male burying beetles make better fathers than their younger counterparts. The study found that mature males, who had little chance of reproducing again, invested more effort in both mating and in parental care than younger males.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London – B, considered how the likelihood of paternity influenced the way that males cared for young. Older males were good fathers and looked after the young even when they were unsure whether the offspring were theirs. Younger...

In a ruling delivered on 13 June, the Supreme Court issued a judgement which may affect a number of high value divorces in the South West, and is welcomed by a leading Westcountry family lawyer for its fairness and common sense.

The case, Petrodel v Prest, showed that the husband purchased properties in London through various offshore companies, yet the Court of Appeal rejected the wife’s claims to have these properties transferred to her as part of her divorce settlement, due to the English law principle that a company has its own legal personality.

On appeal by the wife...

A messy bit of ground at Exwick Community Centre has been transformed into a child-friendly paved area, enabling young and old users of the Centre to enjoy the outdoor space.

The piece of ground was included in the boundary of Exwick Community Centre when it was built, but it was never levelled by the developers. The land was not able to be used by the centre users and was a maintenance headache for Exwick Community Association, who operate the centre on behalf of the community.

Now with funding from Devon County Council, the existing patio area has been extended to include...