Private house building fuels growth in SW

Construction workloads increased in the South West in the final quarter of 2014, albeit at a slightly slower rate, and private housing saw the strongest growth despite the shortage of bricklayers reaching a record high.

Over a third (36% net balance) reported that workloads in the construction sector had grown in the region in Q4 2014 with 57% more respondents saying that the private housing sector was fuelling the greatest growth, followed by the private commercial sector (48%).

Around 60% of respondents across the UK reported that material shortages, skill shortages and...

A379 closed after reports of man threatening to jump from bridge

The A379 remains closed in both directions between Sandygate roundabout and the Old Rydon Lane junction, because of a police incident.

Police closed the road shortly before 9.30 this morning after receiving reports of a man threatening to jump from Baker Bridge near the David Lloyd Leisure Centre.

The man is believed to have a rope around his neck.

The incident caused chaos in the area around Sandygate Roundabout, with traffic queues stretching back to the M5.

Emergency services are currently on the scene.

It is not known who the man is or how long...

Work starts on shingle recycling project at Sidmouth main beach

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 01/07/2015 - 10:11pm

With Central Government funding (via the Environment Agency) of up to £100,000 in place, East Devon District Council has begun coastal defence beach recycling work at Sidmouth’s main beach.

As scheduled, work on the six-week project commenced on Monday 5 January and a digger has begun removing the surplus build-up of shingle from the western end of the main beach(over the Bedford groyne).

Dumper trucks will redistribute the shingle at the eastern end (from the York groyne and beyond) travelling over a temporary ramp on the rock groyne opposite the Bedford Hotel and using...

Real Christmas tree recycling in Exeter

Exeter City Council are providing drop off sites for Exeter residents to take their real Christmas trees for recycling this weekend (Saturday 10 January and Sunday 11 January 2015).

The trees will be shredded and used in the city's parks or sent for composting just outside Exeter.

Trees put out for normal rubbish or recycling collections will not be collected.

Drop-off sites are as follows:

  • Mincinglake Valley Car Park
  • Holman Way Car Park, Topsham
  • Heavitree Pleasure Ground
  • Exwick Playing Fields (Western Road entrance
  • ...

Psychology in the Pub Bullying at Work – the invisible toxic issue

Event Date: 
28/10/2015 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue: 
St Olaves Hotel, Mary Arches Street, Exeter EX4 3AZ

Bullying at Work – the invisible toxic issue Jacqui Marshall FCIPD

What is it? How does it manifest itself? And what can we proactively do to stop bullying happening in the workplace. This talk will look at the various types of bullying in the workplace. What data can be collected and used to try and see what is happening and where and what are the sorts of solutions that can be used to mitigate bullying happening and to resolve it when it does happen. This talk will use lots of real life scenarios to explore some of the difficult invisible issues around this topic.

These...

Children's mental health is parents’ top worry in the South West

Over 40 per cent of parents in the South West worry about their children’s mental health, more than any other health issue, Action for Children reveals today.

Action for Children runs more than 200 children’s centres across the UK working with parents and young children to provide a range of support including early action to try and nip problems in the bud and stop them from reaching crisis point.

The charity has been concerned by the rise in support needed by children because of mental health and emotional wellbeing problems. Recent research by the charity found over half...

Psychology in the Pub: Weird Science: An Introduction to Anomalistic Psychology

Event Date: 
30/09/2015 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue: 
St Olaves Hotel, Mary Arches Street, Exeter EX4 3AZ

Weird Science: An Introduction to Anomalistic Psychology Speaker: Professor Chris French

Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of the population has reported unusual experiences labelled as “paranormal”. Opinion polls show that the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena occur. Such widespread experience of and belief in the paranormal can only mean one of two things. Either the paranormal is real, in which case this should be accepted by the wider scientific community which currently rejects such claims; or else belief...

Psychology in the Pub: A Little Bit of Stress does you Good? Rethinking the Meaning of Stress for Health and Well-Being in Children and Adults

Event Date: 
27/05/2015 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue: 
St Olaves Hotel, Mary Arches Street, Exeter EX4 3AZ

A Little Bit of Stress does you Good? Rethinking the Meaning of Stress for Health and Well-Being in Children and Adults Dr. Julie Turner-Cobb

This talk will examine the notion of the popular concept of stress. As well as looking at the science behind how stress can contribute to physical illness, I will also challenge the view that stress is always bad for you. The talk draws from studies of adults across a range of different physical health conditions and takes a life course perspective drawing from research on stress and health in children. I will present a number of different...

Psychology in the Pub: How to help the brain see cancer

Event Date: 
25/03/2015 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue: 
St Olaves Hotel, Mary Arches Street, Exeter EX4 3AZ

How to help the brain see cancer Dr William Simpson, University of Plymouth

Breast cancer is detected by radiologists who view mammograms (X-ray images of the breasts). No matter how sophisticated the imaging equipment used to create the mammograms, a limiting factor in cancer detection is the visual system of the radiologist. Therefore, if we can present mammogram images to the radiologist in a way tailored to the capabilities of the visual system, we can improve cancer detection. Visual perception is at the very core of psychology, and a great deal is known about it. I will...

Pages