Man in critical condition after A38 crash

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:59pm

Police are appealing for witnesses to a collision on the A38 near Exeter in which a man suffered serious injuries.

At around 8.55am on Sunday 8 February, a silver Vauxhall Corsa, travelling along the A38 northbound, left the carriageway on Haldon Hill and collided with a tree.

Extensive damage was caused to the car and the driver suffered serious head injuries.

The fire service, highways and an air ambulance were called to assist.

The 23-year-old male driver, from London, was taken by air ambulance to Derriford Hospital where he remains in a critical...

Connecting Devon and Somerset achieves 100,000 premises milestone

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:39pm

Connecting Devon and Somerset today announced it has achieved a major milestone in its rollout of superfast fibre broadband. More than 100,000 homes and businesses in the two counties now have access to fibre broadband as a result of the partnership, with nearly 90 per cent of those premises being able to connect to superfast speeds of 24Mbps or above. The news comes as the Government today announced that the nationwide rollout of superfast broadband has now reached more than two million homes and businesses1. Around 12,500 orders have already been placed since the beginning of this year...

New photography studio opens in Exeter

Authored by mrowl
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:10pm

After 17 years, and two national awards as wedding photographers John and Jill English have opened a photography studio in Bowhill House, Exeter.

It's quite unlike any other studio you've ever seen before and in place of a soulless white space it is brimming with atmosphere - well it is a house with hundreds of years of history including a fabulous great hall, wooden panelling, cloisters, and walls that are proudly Devon Cob.

As twice winners of best UK wedding photographer at the UK Wedding awards John and Jill know a thing or two about photography and their...

Are you prepared for Red Tuesday?

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 10:45am

‘Red Tuesday’ is the top dumping day of the year, just four days before Valentine’s Day, according to new research released by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s top dating website.

3,000 people were surveyed on Illicit Encounters and one in five - 22% - had broken up with someone the week before Valentine’s Day.

Dumping someone electronically is also rising in popularity with 7.5 in 10 people breaking up with someone over their phone.

The top six ways people chose to dump their partners were:

  • By text
  • By phone call
  • In person
  • ...

Pensioner bonds availability to be extended

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 10:42am

Chancellor George Osborne has (8 February 2015) announced the government will extend the availability of its hugely popular 65 plus pensioner bonds.

Highlighting latest sales figures which show it has seen the biggest sale of any retail financial product in Britain’s modern history, the Chancellor confirmed that the pensioner bonds will now be on sale for 4 months, until 15 May 2015, so that everyone who wants to invest can do so.

£7.5 billion of the 65 plus pensioner bonds have been sold so far, with over 610,000 savers purchasing bonds since their launch in January this...

Fostering information event in Exeter

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 10:29am

People interested in becoming foster carers are invited to attend an information event run by Foster Care Associates (FCA) at Sainsbury's Pinhoe store in Exeter on Wednesday 11 February, 10am-2pm.

Potential foster carers can find out first-hand from FCA carers and social workers how to get involved and help dozens of children and young people in Exeter and throughout the South West who are in need of a foster family.

Sherree Cole, registered manager for FCA South West, said: “There is an urgent need for more foster carers in Exeter and the South West. We are actively...

New school food plan for Exeter launches

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 10:00am

Award winning local cookery school and school catering company, Fun Kitchen and Fresha, today announced the launch of a new joint healthy eating venture for schoolchildren in and around Exeter.

The new ‘Teach and Eat’ programme has been set up to help primary schools deliver healthy eating through fun hands-on classroom cookery teaching and fresh locally sourced school meals to eat.

An evening launch of the ‘Teach and Eat’ initiative is to be held on Tuesday, February 24 at Fresha HQ in Sowton, Exeter featuring a programme of talks designed to help primary head teachers...

Everys champions Exchange Ready for new-build buyers

Authored by Everys
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 8:33am

Everys Solicitors has pledged to help ease the buying process of new-build properties with its Exchange Ready package.

Everys’ Exchange Ready service makes sure all the paperwork is prepared in a timely way to meet tight deadlines, such as those imposed by new-build developers.

Property conveyancing solicitor Anju Newcombe said: “We have been using Exchange Ready very successfully to help speed up the process once our clients have found a buyer for their property. This allows them to be prepared with all the key documentation in place to be sent immediately to the buyer’s...

Green energy career advice for students

National Careers Week event at Exeter College will show the huge opportunities in renewable energy While students all over the UK will be getting advice on their future careers during the ‘LifeSkills National Careers Week’, Exeter teenagers who are interested in a career in renewable energy will be getting the best possible information, thanks to a visit from the UK’s number one solar company. Kevin Ciolino, who has been a solar installer, operations manager and technical support specialist at SunGift Energy, is meeting students from Exeter College on Friday 6 March at Falcon House...

Will 2019 be the year the SW stops building?

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 8:19am

Worsening skills shortages in the construction sector could threaten many building projects in the South West by 2019, new research* reveals today.

Data released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) highlights the severity of the skills shortages facing businesses across the region.

More than nine tenths (93%) of the surveyors questioned said that a lack of qualified candidates meant they had problems recruiting, but more alarming is the amount of paid work being turned down by many companies.

Three in five (60%) surveying firms in the South West...

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