National Grid has published its 2014/15 Winter Outlook with a warning that its electricity capacity is at a seven-year low.
The Outlook has been produced by National Grid in its role as electricity System Operator and as owner and operator of gas transmission infrastructure in Great Britain.
The Outlook follows consultation with the energy industry, analysts, academics and energy policy experts. On gas, supplies are in a strong position this winter, with gas supplies, storage and network capacity well in excess of maximum expected demand.
This year, the popular Santa's Magical Kingdom at Otter Nurseries is opening on November 8th.
Book tickets for this date to enjoy lots of extra family fun. Characters from Cinderella will be there to greet the children, and donkeys from The Donkey Sanctuary are making an appearance. There's free face painting and lots to see.
Inside the grotto, children will meet singing reindeer Rudy and Judy, and enjoy interactive fun with the elves. There are exciting songs to sing-a-long to, Iceberg adventures, Mrs Christmas's kitchen and woodland walks.
Local charities have won a clutch of awards – mainly for environmental work.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park was recognised for its environmental sustainability in both the Palm 105.5fm Local Heroes awards and the Herald Express South Devon Tourism & Hospitality Awards. In addition, Living Coasts won the silver award in the Most Effective Marketing category of the Herald Express awards.
Paignton Zoo has also been shortlisted in the Devon Environmental Business Initiative - DEBI – awards in the Sustainable Food, Retail, Hospitality and Leisure category. The winners will...
The state of the nation’s teeth has been a running joke for decades, but it seems we’re no closer to the perfect smile as data released today by Toothpick, the UK’s leading dental bookings platform, reveals that one in seven of us would rather endure a divorce, move house or attend a job interview than endure half an hour in the dentist’s chair.
With one third of Brits admitting to not having visited the dentist in more than two years it is inevitable that the state of the nation’s teeth is suffering. This combined with, in some cases, the need for extensive treatment when we do...
Devon and Cornwall Police is holding a two week amnesty for the surrender of unlawfully held or unwanted firearms and ammunition. Members of the public can hand in items at police stations in Exeter (Heavitree Road), Torquay, Plymouth (Charles Cross and Crownhill), Barnstaple, Bodmin, Camborne, St Austell and Truro between 3 and 17 November. They will be able to do this without fear of prosecution for possession while at the same time disposing of their weapons safely. Police are asking people to surrender unlawfully held or unwanted guns and ammunition to help avoid them getting into the...
Police recovered the body of a man from the water at Exeter Quay yesterday morning (27 October).
Police were initially contacted and responded to an incident after growing concerns for a missing 35-year-old man in Exeter on Sunday evening (26 October).
Whilst police searches where underway a man was reported to have entered the water at Exeter Quay, near Haven Banks at around 1.15am.
Police helicopter, police staff and the fire service water rescue team were deployed and undertook an extensive search of the area, but were unable to locate the missing man.
A new £97m Met Office supercomputer will cement the UK's position as a world leader in weather and climate prediction.
The weather's volatility has long been a popular British conversation topic - but the Government's plans for a new £97m supercomputer unveiled today will cement the UK's position as a world leader in weather and climate prediction.
This supercomputer will be 13 times more powerful than the current system used by the Met Office and will have 120,000 times more memory than a top-end smartphone.
Enabling forecast updates every hour and the ability to...
It may almost be November but temperatures are expected to hit 17C in Exeter today (Tuesday).
Whilst this is not exceptional, it is unusual for the time of year. These sorts of temperatures, which are almost double the average, are quite rare in October.
High street shops had their worst month in September for more than five years due to the warm weather.
Experts say it is because purchases such as jumpers and boots failed to materialise as normal.
Industry data from the British Retail Consortium, the retailers’ trade association, show retail sales fell 0.8...
It might seem early for some, but Christmas is never far from the minds of the staff and volunteers at Knightshayes, the National Trust property on the out skirts of Tiverton; and this year the team are pondering a very unusual question – what to do about the jolly man himself? They are looking for volunteers to support extended opening hours over the winter and, in particular, help with events in the run-up to Christmas. The property will be decorated for Christmas from 3 December with ‘Meet Father Christmas’ events running on the 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 December. There will also be...
A project to carry out major repairs at Exeter Cathedral can now begin, thanks to funding from the government’s First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund for England’s Cathedrals.
Exeter Cathedral’s award of £277,547 is part of a package of £8.3 million in grants for 31 English cathedrals announced today by Culture Secretary Sajid Javid. The money has come from a government-sponsored fund set up to support vital repairs to some of England's most important historic buildings.
The Dean of Exeter, Dr Jonathan Draper, welcomed the news:
