Around 800 businesses across East Devon are set to benefit from a scheme that will give them rate relief of up to £1,000 for the next two years. The scheme, adopted by East Devon District Council, is designed to give local retail businesses of a rateable value of less than £50,000 a chance to compete on a more level playing field with internet retailers. Businesses to benefit include shops, post offices, restaurants, cafes, pubs and garden centres. Councillor David Cox, portfolio holder for finance, said: “A £1,000 discount will make a huge difference to small businesses and local traders...
Baking fans and cookery lovers alike will be given the chance to meet Glenn Cosby, contestant on the hit BBC Two show The Great British Bake Off. For one night only Glenn will share his tales from baking in the limelight, followed by a three-course dinner of delicious dishes.
Local to Exeter, Glenn joined the baker’s dozen of competitors to star in the fourth series of the TV phenomenon, fighting off tough competition until week seven. He was the last man standing.
Glenn said: “For me, baking is about indulgence. I love the hands on approach to food and enjoy nothing more...
Members of HMS Defender’s ship’s company will exercise their Freedom of the City of Exeter for the first time this weekend.
The state-of-the-art Type 45 destroyer is affiliated with the Devon city and has been enormously honoured to have Freedom conferred on her.
The 200 men and women who serve on board Defender will take part in a ceremony in the High Street, when the The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Exeter, Councillor Rachel Lyons, will formally confer the Freedom of the City on the ship’s company.
The crew will then take to the streets of the historic city...
The friendly team at Casa Maroc on Bartholomew Street East in Exeter welcomed customers into the exotic surroundings of the Casablanca Lounge below the restaurant to sample the delights of their new spring menu.
Guests enjoyed a handsome spread of new dishes to savour, from Arancini di Riso to new pasta dishes and old favourites such as Lamb Stifado and a variety of tasty tajines.
Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, SignUp BSL and Deafinite Interpreters are calling for everyone to support an online campaign for Sign Language Week from 17 – 21 March. The exciting BSL (British Sign Language) Celebration Week campaign, running across social media, encourages people to learn how to introduce themselves and communicate their name in sign language and then film it and share it online. The organisations have produced a video guide for everyone to be able to take part in celebrating British Sign Language and want people to use the hashtag #loveBSL to get as many people...
Update 22:00 11/3/14 - After missing for over 30 hours missing teenager for safe and well
A 14-year-old girl who went missing from her Exmouth home on Monday morning has been found safe and well. Police have been carrying extensive searches for Harriet Melbourne who left for school on Monday but did not arrive. Harriet was located safe and well in Penzance this evening. Police would like to thank the public for their assistance in this matter.
Councillors at Devon County Council have voted in favour of reconsidering the decision to close the authority's three children’s homes at a special scrutiny meeting. The now over-turned decision to close the homes was made following a review which concluded last month and will be discussed at a council meeting on Wdnesday.
The review of the homes, launched in January, was started in light of new regulations from Ofsted which indicated that any children’s home with more than three places will be unable to qualify for a good or better rating in future. An alternative proposal for the...
A key focus of this year’s budget is likely to be pensions and the increasing demand for reform in the annuity market. Nick Fitzgerald, head of financial planning, said, “We are always busy with pensions in the approach to the end of the financial year, but this year we have not noticed a discernible increase above the usual, of clients rushing to top up their pension pots.
“The world of pensions is increasingly less certain with a loss of trust in the stability of the regime. Over recent years we have seen a constant nibbling away at the incentives to save; reducing lifetime...
With spring finally pushing through the last remnants of winter, St Paul’s Church in Honiton is set to play host to a Spring Violin Recital on Wednesday 19 March at 7.30pm.
The event, sponsored by Gilbert Stephens Solicitors, will feature Devon violinist Marie Langrishe. Marie is 19 and lives near Honiton. She started learning the violin aged 7, and continued musical studies whilst studying at Maynard School in Exeter, where she led both the school orchestras and the school quartet for a number of years.
During this time she gained Distinction in her Grade 8 violin, played...
Over 80 people attended the Southernhay Breakfast Club on Friday 7 March – a joint event ran by Kirk Hills Chartered Accountants and Beckworth Independent Financial Advisers.
The first meeting of 2014, held at the Southgate Hotel, saw guest speaker Karime Hassan, Chief Executive and Growth Director of Exeter City Council, give an overview of what is happening in Exeter.
Adrian Hills from Kirk Hills commented, “it was great that Karime was able to join us for this event, to explain more about the exciting developments that are taking place in our city. He is a very engaging...
