The search is on for the funniest and most creative business name in Exeter with the launch of the Small Business Pun of the Year 2015.

The awards, launched by build-your-own-app service Appsme.com, aims to find the shop or small business with the most side-splitting name. Business owners and members of the public can nominate their best small business pun by sharing a photo of the shop sign on the Appsme blog. They can also tweet or Instagram a photo along with the business’s details using the #SmallBizPun hashtag.

Nick Barnett, CEO at Appsme, says: “We help small...

It was with a heavy heart that Dean Mumm trudged down the players’ tunnel at Sandy Park for the final time on Saturday afternoon.

After three hugely successful years in Devon, two of which he has spent as skipper of the Exeter Chiefs, the 31-year-old is heading home to Australia to pursue a dream he thought had seemingly evaporated.

Set to return to former club the Waratahs, the vastly-experienced forward is hoping his return to Super Rugby will offer him the lifeline he needs to re-ignite a Wallabies career that to date has yielded 33 caps.

In what is...

A qualified medical herbalist from East Devon will be sharing her knowledge of everyday foods and their health benefits with visitors at this weekend’s River Cottage Spring Food Fair.

Jayne Palmer from Roots to Health is giving a talk based on a quote from Hippocrates: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food". She will explain how common ingredients like onion, garlic and fennel contribute to a healthy diet and how, in concentrated form, they can have medicinal uses.

Roots To Health is a complementary consultancy, advice and prescription practice...

Everys Solicitors’ new commercial team has brokered a deal that will see Thailand Carpet Manufacturing become joint owners of a leading quality UK upholstery manufacturer.

Colchester-based Alstons has announced the sale of the business to a joint venture comprising the existing management team and Thailand Carpet Manufacturing, an affiliate company of the Srivikorn Group.

The move into upholstery by Thailand Carpet Manufacturing Plc reflects the company’s strategy of diversification. An announcement has already been made to the Stock Exchange of Thailand and the deal is due...

South West Communications Group has set up a second free webinar to enable businesses to find out more about the SuperConnected Cities scheme.

swcomms has already informed many businesses they are now eligible for a SuperConnected Cities voucher worth up to £3,000, but has organised this second super-quick free webinar – 15 minutes plus questions – to give them the details they will need without disturbing their days' work too much. There will be an opportunity for businesses to ask questions via a live chat facility.

The first webinar was held last week and was over-...

With exciting expansion plans ahead, Energy Hair Design has been investing in the development of home grown talent to expand their team.

The Darts Farm based salon has recently been celebrating the graduation of four of their apprentices in NVQ Level 2 and NVQ Level 3 Hairdressing – working closely with The Learning & Skills Group.

Graduate stylists; Sophie Tregale 18, Ellie Phillips 17, Grace Mangeng 20 have all recently passed their NVQ Level 2 in hairdressing which has involved all aspects of basic hairdressing. They have now started their NVQ Level 3 which involves...

Police are reminding the public to be vigilant about telephone scams and to follow some simple advice to prevent them from becoming a victim of this type of crime.

This follows an incident in Winkleigh recently where the victim was contacted by a person claiming to be from the bank in an attempt to gain personal information and to relieve the victim of his bank card.

Detective Constable David Major said: “The person on the phone claiming to be from the bank was very convincing, they explained to the victim that they needed a new bank card and over the course of a few...

Hundreds of Ring & Ride passengers, staff and volunteers enjoyed a special celebration event yesterday to mark the 25th anniversary of the service in Devon.

The Silver Jubilee party at Seale Hayne in Newton Abbot, brought together those connected with Ring & Ride schemes from across the county.

Among those who attended was Freda Hayes, who is the longest serving passenger of the Tiverton Ring & Ride service, having been a regular since November 1990.

Freda said: “The Ring & Ride is my saviour. I have made so many friends on the Ring & Ride bus...

Exeter law firm Browne Jacobson has seen turnover grow 17% to a record £58.9m for 2014-15, up from £50.2m in 2013-14.

All five of the firm’s offices posted impressive organic growth figures with its Exeter office, which opened in August 2012, seeing turnover grow by 40% with its education team posting 16% growth.

During the year the Exeter office also announced the partner appointments of Lynne Rathbone from Stephens Scown and Dale Collins from Bond Pearce whilst adding a number of high profile clients including Cornwall Council, CORMAC, South Devon Healthcare NHS...