The employment figure from July to September 2015 is up, 177,000 more people are in work than between April to June.

This is great news for the UK and the south west has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the UK. That’s great news for our local economy.

But there are still some people who find it hard to get back to work, and the longer you are out of the workplace, the harder it is to get back there. With a booming local economy it seems surprising to hear that not everyone who needs a job can get into work. But there are many reasons.

Employers don’t like...

Northumberland is regarded as one of the top holiday destinations for families in the UK. Its natural beauty, historic landmarks and family-friendly amenities make it the perfect place for kids and their parents to spend time and enjoy themselves. Five fun things to do in Northumberland that kids will love include the following:

1. Spend Time at the Beach

A large part of Northumberland is on the coast. This means there are plenty of stunning beaches including Bamburgh Castle beach, Seahouses beach, Holy Island beach, Berwick-upon-Tweed beach and Warkworth beach. These are...

Living in hope..

In my last blog I wrote about the worst part of my life that was living in fear. And it's true, it is. But it is also the smallest part of my life.

I don't have a lot of room for fear when all around me I have and experience the total opposite, Hope. Hope for a future that has me and Rudey in it.

I wouldn't say I'm the strongest person in the world or the most resilient but I have an ability to cope with whatever is thrown at me. This is not something I could achieve on my own though. I have quite a large gaggle of incredible people on my side that...

Four people have been killed in a crash involving a six-seater light aircraft which was flying to east Devon.

Two men and two women were in the plane which came down in a field in Somerset shortly before midday.

They were heading from the Surrey area towards Dunkeswell Aerodrome which is five miles away from the crash site at Churchinford.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been informed and is deploying a team of investigators.

Supt Richard Corrigan, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "This is a very sad incident in which four people have...

SUBSTITUTE LUKE ROONEY scored a stoppage-time screamer to deny the Grecians all three points in a hard fought game at St James Park.

Exeter twice took the lead, first through an Alex Nicholls strike and then a sensational volley from Tom Nichols, but were pegged back twice by a determined Crawley Town side.

The Grecians made two changes to the team that beat Didcot Town in the FA Cup last Sunday, with Joel Grant and Alex Nicholls coming in to replace David Wheeler and the injured Manny Oyeleke. Following an impeccably-observed minute’s silence in memory of those who died...

PETE Williams has marked his 50th birthday by running in a marathon and a half marathon – and also raising money for a charity that supports women with a rare illness.

He recently completed the Bristol to Bath marathon, and prior to that competed in the Great West Run in Exeter.

Pete, a dental technician who lives in Silverton, near Exeter, took part in the events with fellow Silverton residents Russ Winter, an entrepreneur, Kimble West, a civil engineer and Nick Hopkinson, an IT manager, who run as Team Silverton Old Dads in green and gold running kit.

The money...

‘Bingo!’ – a phrase usually exclaimed with excitement and passion – no one questions the meaning. It would however seem, that according to recent research, students in Exeter are not so excited by the game itself – in stark contrast other locations.

A study funded by Rocket Bingo , an online bingo site shows that alongside Cambridge, students from Exeter are amongst the least likely in the country to visit a bingo hall whilst studying. You might not find this news surprising but as it turns out, the popularity of bingo halls seems generally to be on the rise amongst students in...

Absolute PR & Marketing has chalked up its latest new business win for 2015 with news of its appointment to manage Visit South Devon’s regional, national and international PR for the coming year.

Visit South Devon is the official tourism body for the South Hams and Teignbridge, working with tourism businesses and attractions to help raise the profile of the area as a destination for both national and international visitors.

Rachael Whitson, Managing Director of Absolute PR & Marketing, commented: “South Devon is one of the most stunning parts of the country and we’...

Every year, thousands of people travel from around the world to drive down America's renowned Route 66. Starting in Chicago and ending in Los Angeles, the route has great historical and cultural significance for Americans making it a must do journey for many bucket-listers and travellers. Now Jurys Inn have created their own version across the UK and Ireland to enjoy: Route 57. Made up of 10 shorter road trips to allow for people to do part or all of the journey at their own pace, the journey has 57 stops along the way (hence the 57...) including Exeter as the second stop. It totals up to...

Devon County Council has launched two public surveys asking residents what they feel about services that the council provides, and where they think the Council's priorities should be next year.

The responses will help the council make decisions about the way services are provided in future.

Over the past five years the County Council has had to save £174 million, giving a total current net budget of £500 million to spend on important public services such as adult social care and road maintenance in Devon.

New Government spending targets means that a further £110...